The Senate made more progress this week on clearing the backlog of officers whose promotions were delayed for months by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., but it remains unclear whether senators will be able to approve the rest of the officers awaiting confirmation by the end of the year.
Promotions for seven generals and admirals were approved by the chamber. Meanwhile, the Senate also passed a bill that would give all 450-plus delayed officers back pay for the time they were waiting for promotions. The House would also have to pass a back-pay bill it’s considering for the legislation to become law.
“Just in time for the holidays, the Senate is giving our military, our military families a present — the justice and back pay they so richly earned and deserved,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor Thursday ahead of approving the bill. “Finally, we’re able to right the wrong of Sen. Tuberville’s illogical, hurtful and dangerous holds and the massive impact the holds had on military families.”
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The Senate bill, which was approved by unanimous consent Thursday evening, would give officers delayed by Tuberville a raise and benefits retroactive to 30 days after they were first nominated. Tuberville first started his blockade on senior military promotions in late February.
Without the bill,…
