Senate Republicans scramble for solution to Tuberville military blockade ahead of key vote

Republican senators emerged from a closed-door meeting Tuesday night still searching for an answer to end Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold over hundreds of military promotions in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy.

The Alabama Republican stood firm with his nearly 10-month-long blockade of military nominees that has climbed to roughly 450 individuals, despite a sense of urgency as Democrats craft a potential legislative workaround that would force some GOP senators into a difficult vote.

The Pentagon policy funds travel and expenses for service members who go to other states for abortions, which Mr. Tuberville and other opponents say amounts to taxpayer-funded abortions and is illegal. The Department of Defense says it’s to ensure the battle readiness of military members.

“We’re in virgin territory,” Mr. Tuberville told reporters after huddling with GOP colleagues. “I don’t want to be hard-headed about this. I think we can get through this and do as much for both parties, for the unborn and for the military.”

Mr. Tuberville floated four potential options to lift his holds, according to a memo he distributed to Republicans. However, Senate Democrats or the Biden administration have so far been unwilling to agree to any of them.

The four solutions included the Pentagon rescinding its policy; repealing it under the annual National Defense Authorization Act; private organizations funding the abortion expenses; and the chamber holding individual floor votes on nominees.

But Senate Republicans concede that Democrats are turning up the heat.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer is moving forward next week with legislation that would allow a temporary rules change to confirm all the promotions in one fell swoop. Democrats will need at least nine Republicans to defect, putting in a tight spot several GOP senators who’ve increasingly accused Mr. Tuberville of jeopardizing national security.

“We hope that the Republicans will get Tuberville to back off, but we will get it done,” Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, told reporters. “We will do everything we can to get it done as soon as possible.”

It remains unclear whether Democrats would have the votes, as several Republicans say they’re weighing the option. Pro-life groups told The Washington Times last week that any Republicans who side with Democrats will pay a political price and be deemed pro-abortion.

“Are Republicans eager to vote on it? I don’t think so,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican.

Mr. Hawley pointed the finger at Republican leadership, questioning why the first meeting on the subject was convened by a rank-and-file member, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, after 10 months.

“Leadership has been totally absent on this. You got Republicans on the floor, tearing each other’s eyes out, and leadership’s doing nothing,” Mr. Hawley said. “It’s like the House when they didn’t have a speaker, except we supposedly have one. It’s un-freaking-believable.”

Such promotions and nominees are typically confirmed without fanfare by unanimous consent, but any one senator has the power to block it and require a tallied vote. Democrats say that process and the procedural hurdles required would consume months of floor time.

Mr. Tuberville suggested he would allow some unanimous consent requests to be approved “here and there to help with people that really need to be promoted.” But it was unclear what parameters would need to be met for him to greenlight such a move.

Mr. Tuberville blocked 61 individual unanimous consent requests last week made over the course of more than four hours by fellow GOP senators, including Iowa’s Joni Ernst and Alaska’s Dan Sullivan, both of whom are veterans.

“There’s going to have to be some give and take,” Mr. Tuberville said. “There was no give. It was all take.”