GOP Sen. Tommy Tubervilles hold on military nominations is raising the stakes of the Senates final week in session. The Alabama senator is objecting to the Pentagons policy of reimbursing military service members and their families for travel to obtain abortion care. Senate leaders are hoping to wrap up consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act this week a bill leaders have long viewed as a natural inflection point. But there is still no sign Tuberville is willing to compromise and public pressure on the Alabama Republican over his stand is growing. Democratic senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter on Monday to McConnell pressing him to pressureTuberville to drop his holds. It would paralyze the Senate from being able to take up almost any other issue. Its just about our admirable people and our admirable values. And it needs to come to a conclusion here to some sort of sort of resolution, says Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, R-New York. The holds only apply to generals and flag officers. But a longterm standoff with the military could have implications on readiness and recruitment. The hold cannot ultimately stop Pentagon nominees from being approved but moving through dozens of military promotions which are typically so uncontroversial that can be approved with a simple agreement would take a few months. It has a cascading effect on our national security, says Sen. Mark Kelly a Democrat from Arizona who signed the letter. My experience is he does not understand what this is doing to our forces and generals anymore that have to move those jobs beneath them. There are people in positions that are critical to our vital national security interests and so right now were at loggerheads on that and I dont know exactly at the moment what the exit plan is but there are folks who I know hes interacting with talking to our members. I think there are lots of permutations of options that have been batted around and discussed and you know I think he wants to get an outcome and I agree with him. I mean I knew it was gonna be tough but Im doing it for the right reasons Tuberveil told . The hold only applies to general and flag officer nominees. But the off ramps presented to Tuberverville have not been enough and a briefing from Defense Department officials last week in the Senate armed Services Committee didnt convince the Alabama senator that the policy was on firm legal ground nor did it convince him his holds were having a real impact on readiness. But you know at the same time we have got to have people in. positions and particularly positions that were critical to. our vitalnational security interests. And I think the military overstepped their bounds Senate Republican Whip John Thune said. This has gone on way too long and its having an impact on our. national security. And its just about people in position that are not just about. our admirable. values and people that are just about the service of our troops. It needs to. come to an conclusion here. The Senate did not shut the door on keeping the Senate in session during the recess last week when it asked about keeping the nominations in process.
Tuberville under pressure over hold on military nominations, but senator remains steadfast.
