How Stupid Senator Tommy Tuberville Held Up Hundreds of DoD Confirmations for Ten Months
He's the dumbest man in Congress, yet he figured this shit out. Senate Democrats can't.
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) made headlines throughout 2023 and early 2024 for blocking hundreds of military promotions and confirmations in the Senate, a move that frustrated both Democrats and Republicans. His blockade targeted nominations for top military positions, creating vacancies in leadership roles across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.
Why Did Tuberville Block Military Promotions?
Tuberville’s protest was aimed at the Department of Defense's abortion policy. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the Pentagon implemented a policy that reimburses travel expenses for service members who need to travel out of state to obtain an abortion. Tuberville argued that this policy was an illegal use of taxpayer funds and demanded the Pentagon reverse it before he would allow confirmations to proceed.
How the Hold Worked
In the Senate, military promotions (especially at the general and admiral levels) are typically approved en masse via unanimous consent. This process allows for swift confirmation unless a senator places a hold on them, which is what Tuberville did. He blocked over 400 nominations by refusing to grant unanimous consent, meaning each nomination would have to be debated and voted on individually—a process that could take months or even years.
The Consequences of His Blockade
Leadership Vacancies: The military was left without permanent leaders in key positions, including the Marine Corps, Army, and Navy chiefs, as well as top regional commanders.
Impact on Readiness: Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, warned that Tuberville’s actions were damaging military readiness and morale.
Bipartisan Frustration: Even Republican senators like Mitch McConnell and Dan Sullivan publicly criticized Tuberville, arguing that his method of protest was harming national security.
Workarounds: Senate Democrats manually confirmed some top positions one by one, but this was an inefficient process and left many others in limbo.
How It Ended
After nearly ten months, Tuberville finally relented in December 2023 and allowed hundreds of stalled military promotions to move forward. However, he continued to block a smaller number of nominations for four-star generals. His blockade had already created long-term disruptions in military leadership, delaying promotions and strategic planning for months.
Final Take
Tuberville’s hold was one of the most unprecedented and controversial in Senate history. While he framed it as a stand against the Pentagon's abortion policy, it ended up causing more frustration within his own party than actual policy change. In the end, the abortion policy remained in place, and Tuberville ultimately backed down after months of political and military pressure.
Senate Democrats can’t pour piss out of a boot. But they’d better figure this shit out FAST—they have an opportunity to hold up ALL of Trump’s nominees.
But they just won’t do it. What is wrong with them?