Posted on Nov 7, 2023
GOP senators are meeting with Sen. Tuberville to urge him to drop blockade on military...
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Republican senators are holding a meeting Tuesday to confront Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville about his blockade of almost 400 military nominations, an effort to find a path forward as the senator has dug in on his protest of a Pentagon abortion policy.
The unusual meeting called by GOP senators to challenge one of their own comes after a handful of Senate Republicans held the floor for more than four hours last week in frustration, calling up 61 of the military nominations only for Tuberville to stand up and object every time. The Senate has traditionally approved large groups of military nominations by voice vote, but just one senator’s objection can upend that process.
Republicans said they will continue to try to negotiate with the Alabama Republican — hoping to persuade him to hold up civilian nominees instead, or maybe even take legal action — and have said they will also try to force more votes on nomination.
The unusual meeting called by GOP senators to challenge one of their own comes after a handful of Senate Republicans held the floor for more than four hours last week in frustration, calling up 61 of the military nominations only for Tuberville to stand up and object every time. The Senate has traditionally approved large groups of military nominations by voice vote, but just one senator’s objection can upend that process.
Republicans said they will continue to try to negotiate with the Alabama Republican — hoping to persuade him to hold up civilian nominees instead, or maybe even take legal action — and have said they will also try to force more votes on nomination.
GOP senators are meeting with Sen. Tuberville to urge him to drop blockade on military...
Posted from apnews.com
Republicans
United States Senate
Posted 6 mo ago
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I hope he stands his ground. They have shown he isn't holding up anythig...they can push them through if they want to. They just want him to back off his stance on military paying for abortions...I agree.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Tuberville said he would work with other senators on possible options, and “hopefully we can start moving forward.” That was a contrast to last week, when he said there was “zero chance” he would lift the holds, absent a change in policy. But it was still unclear how a resolution could happen.
Republicans who have criticized Tuberville have suggested they may try and persuade him to hold up civilian nominees instead of the military nominations or take legal action against the department. They have also said they will also try to force more votes on nominations if he doesn't lift the holds.
Tuberville proposed other options in a memo he circulated before the meeting, including Congress passing legislation that would block the abortion policy or the Defense Department rescinding it — both unlikely scenarios that he has suggested before.
At issue are new Pentagon rules that allow reimbursement for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. President Joe Biden’s administration instituted the new rules after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion, and some states have limited or banned the procedure.
“I went in with one or two options. I’ve come out with five or six," he said after the meeting. He also suggested he might let a small number of the nominations go through.
“There's going to have to be some give-and-take,” Tuberville said.
Republicans leaving the meeting said there were still no real answers. “Still looking for a solution," said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley."...
..."Tuberville said he would work with other senators on possible options, and “hopefully we can start moving forward.” That was a contrast to last week, when he said there was “zero chance” he would lift the holds, absent a change in policy. But it was still unclear how a resolution could happen.
Republicans who have criticized Tuberville have suggested they may try and persuade him to hold up civilian nominees instead of the military nominations or take legal action against the department. They have also said they will also try to force more votes on nominations if he doesn't lift the holds.
Tuberville proposed other options in a memo he circulated before the meeting, including Congress passing legislation that would block the abortion policy or the Defense Department rescinding it — both unlikely scenarios that he has suggested before.
At issue are new Pentagon rules that allow reimbursement for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. President Joe Biden’s administration instituted the new rules after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion, and some states have limited or banned the procedure.
“I went in with one or two options. I’ve come out with five or six," he said after the meeting. He also suggested he might let a small number of the nominations go through.
“There's going to have to be some give-and-take,” Tuberville said.
Republicans leaving the meeting said there were still no real answers. “Still looking for a solution," said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley."...
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