WASHINGTON — 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.
They are holding the meeting as Democrats are considering a resolution that would allow batches of military nominees to be passed over Tuberville’s objections — a temporary measure that Republicans worry could erode their minority powers in the Senate.
Sen. Jack Reed’s resolution to provide for batch consideration of military nominations will be before the Senate Rules Committee next week. Reed said he believes that if the impasse isn’t resolved by then, a “number of Republicans will…
