The Senate returned to business this week under a cloud of tension as more than 300 military nominees remain in limbo, with some Democrats speculating about ways to get around the blockade.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has been blocking senior military promotions for months out of opposition to the Pentagon’s abortion policy, which reimburses servicemembers who must travel out of state to obtain reproductive health care. He has vowed to continue his holds until either the Defense Department rescinds the policy or Congress passes it into law.
Three positions on the Joint Chiefs of Staff are currently open, with more vacancies on the way. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley is set to retire at the end of the month, and it’s far from clear whether his replacement, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, will get a vote.
