The remaining military promotions of 11 four-star generals subjected to Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade were approved by the Senate on Tuesday night, without a single roll call vote.
Schumer broke Tuberville’s blockade of more than 300 lower-ranking military promotions earlier this month, but the Alabama senator insisted at the time on holding up 11 of the highest-ranking officers so as not to capitulate completely to Democrats.
Tuberville started holding up military promotions in February in protest of the government reimbursing travel expenses of military members who traveled across state lines to receive abortions or other reproductive health care. At one point there were more than 450 promotions backlogged.
Delaware Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, the last Vietnam veteran still serving in the Senate, took to the floor after Schumer spoke to mark what he called the “end” of a “sad chapter” in Senate history.
Schumer and Democrats threatened to keep the Senate in session through Christmas to get the promotions through, but Tuberville whined to reporters that he had been open to letting the promotions pass without a roll-call vote.
“I’d work with them, I told them three weeks ago I’d work with them,” he said. “They don’t want to work with anybody." Tuberville complained that Schumer didn't reach out to him directly. “Sooner or later you got to communicate: ‘Coach, what do you want here? Let’s get this done.’ They have no communication skills whatsoever. It’s their way or the highway,” he said.