After over 200 days of butting heads with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) for holding up military promotions due to the Pentagon's abortion policy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) brought up for a vote the nomination of Gen. Charles Q. Brown to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, proving Schumer had the ability to bring individual promotions up for a vote despite his complaints about Tuberville.
"One of us was bluffing. It wasn't me," Tuberville said on X about the vote. "Democrats are taking the same action they could've taken months ago. As long as the Pentagon keeps the unlawful elective abortion policy in place, my holds will remain."
One of us was bluffing. It wasn't me.
— Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) September 20, 2023
Democrats are taking the same action they could've taken months ago. As long as the Pentagon keeps the unlawful elective abortion policy in place, my holds will remain. https://t.co/f497iygBDd
During an appearance on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" Wednesday, Tuberville said he employed a rarely used rule allowing him to bring a nominee up for a vote, which pressured Schumer to do it himself.
"I forced his hand," Tuberville said. "… I took it to the floor and said I'm going to do my own cloture vote. I'm going to bring my own vote up, and Schumer says, 'No, no, no. We can't let him do that. He'll grandstand on us. We'll do it'... We got to the point where we needed to confirm some people, and Schumer, he wasn't going to do it. He was just going to let it all blow up and make us look bad."
Schumer argued from the Senate floor that Tuberville has "accomplished nothing" with his holds, but Tuberville disagreed.
"He blinked, and he knows it," the former Auburn football coach said. "Two hundred twenty days they've pushed all this stuff back on me, but now it's on them. People know now that they can confirm them, so we'll just sit back and see if he brings anybody to the floor."
Tuberville said he expects two more promotions to be voted on individually Thursday, but his hold on mass confirmations will remain in place as long as the Pentagon's "illegal" abortion policy is in effect.
"We don't have any leadership in the Senate. We don't have any leadership in the White House or the Pentagon," Tuberville added, which he said is further displayed by the Biden administration's failure to address the "biggest problem we have right now" — protecting America's Southern border.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
