Senate passes bill for promotions back pay after Tuberville holds end

The Senate voted Thursday to approve legislation granting back pay to senior military officers who had promotions delayed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) during his months-long hold.

The bill, unanimously passed Thursday, provides a retroactive effect date for the promotions of senior officers. It still requires the House to approve it, which likely won’t happen until 2024, since the House adjourned for its holiday break Thursday.

Tuberville announced earlier this month that he would be ending his extended blockade on hundreds of military promotions.

Tuberville took issue with a Pentagon policy, enacted last year, that would allow service members to be reimbursed for their travel to receive abortion care.

His holds lasted almost 10 months and became an issue for members of the Republican party, who were forced to choose between an anti-abortion stance and supporting the military.

Tuberville’s decision came after Senate Democrats said they would temporarily change the rules to advance the more than 400 nominees that his protest was affecting.

The Alabama representative said he was jumping on board with an idea presented by Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) that would release his holds on 3-star level military officers and below. Roughly 10 nominations are still on hold for 4-star generals and officers.

Tuberville’s holds increased tensions within the party in October after Hamas attacked Israel, as a number of the positions in the regions had yet to be filled due to his blockage.

He said he didn’t get the “win that we wanted” but expressed no regrets about how he handled the holds.

Just hours after Tuberville’s announcement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) began to move on the promotions. Schumer said he hopes other members don’t try to pull a similar stunt because “it’s a risky strategy that will not succeed.”