It’s difficult to say how much of the public is aware of Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade on military nominees, but as Politico reported, a group of veterans have come up with a new way to help bring attention to the issue.
A group of Democrats are lining up behind the newest push to pressure Sen. Tommy Tuberville to relent on his hold of hundreds of senior military promotions. VoteVets PAC, a Democratic veterans group, organized a visual display on the lawn outside the Senate showing the pictures of nominees for the promotions delayed by Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold.
There’s no reason to believe the Alabaman will care about the display or the message behind it, but the VoteVets visual presentation helps drive home the group’s message nicely.
Today, we're transforming the Senate lawn with 300 signs, each representing a military promotion currently on hold by Republicans.
— VoteVets (@votevets) September 19, 2023
The time is NOW to put an end to this deadlock and do right by our dedicated Servicemembers.#ConfirmThemToday pic.twitter.com/JJHRY5niR5
The silent protest comes against the backdrop of several new developments related to the controversy surrounding Tuberville’s tactics. Politico reported late last week, for example, that the policy the GOP senator is desperate to destroy — travel reimbursements for U.S. troops seeking reproductive care in other states — is hardly being used by servicemembers.
It reinforces concerns that Tuberville is undermining his own country’s military to solve a problem that doesn’t exist in any meaningful way.
What’s more, while the coach-turned-politician has said he’s felt no real pressure from his GOP colleagues, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski publicly denounced Tuberville’s radical tactics late last week. “Holding military nominations hostage is not a winning tactic for anyone, especially in light of retention challenges and the very real threats we face in the Pacific and elsewhere,” the Alaskan wrote online. “These holds are starting to have cascading impacts that are degrading our national security.”









