To some Tommy Tuberville is the senator who doesn’t know what the three branches of U.S. government are. To others he’s the guy who keeps saying white nationalists are people, too. Lately, though, he’s become best known as the guy who’s singlehandedly holding up hundreds of military promotions, all so he can make a culture war point. Now, after months of putting up with his intransigence, Tuberville’s fellow Republicans finally gave him what for.
Per Mediaite, the Senate floor blew up Wednesday night after Tuberville took his blocking next level. The college football coach-turned-Alabama lawmaker has placed holds on over 300 nominations to the Department of Defense. Why? Because he wants the Pentagon to revoke a policy that reimburses out-of-state expenses for service members who seek abortions but are stationed in states where it’s now illegal.
For months, Tuberville has said he’d allow his colleagues to find a workaround: They could do each one one-by-one. It would take ages, but he claimed he wouldn’t block them. On Wednesday, fellow Republicans called his bluff by doing it one-by-one…only for Tuberville to block each one.
But it wasn’t just Democrats who called Tuberville out on his short-sighted sabotage. It was Republicans.
Could be a long night. Lindsey Graham said they are going to request voice votes individually on all 376 pending military nominations being blocked by Tuberville. Tuberville is blocking every one of his fellow Republicans’ requests. They are visibly angry.
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) November 1, 2023
Alaskan senator Dan Sullivan was among Tuberville’s harshest critics, calling his antics a “national security suicide mission.” He also wondered aloud if this will make China think about attacking Taiwan as the U.S. military sleeps.
Tuberville’s fellow Republicans are calling him out for his self-serving, stupid-ass shenanigans.
And he doesn’t f’ng care.
Can someone please tell me how the hell the dumbest dumbfuck in the whole of the Senate is able to hold our entire military hostage?pic.twitter.com/mOGUQI1aBi— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) November 1, 2023
Sullivan is seething with anger. Calls Tuberville’s blockade “a national security suicide mission”
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) November 2, 2023
Sullivan: “He’s loving this,” he says of Xi Jinping. “So is Putin.”
“How dumb can we be?”
Tuberville blocks another Navy commander.
Frustrated Sullivan wonders if the Chinese will think “maybe we should attack Taiwan tomorrow”
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) November 2, 2023
Tuberville’s actions were so beyond the pale that they enraged no less than backbone-less Lindsey Graham, who tried desperately to talk some sense into him.
Graham: Here's what's going to happen. You've just denied this lady a promotion. You did that. pic.twitter.com/OEt48t8uhQ
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 1, 2023
As some noted, if you’re too crazy for the guy who can’t stand up to Donald Trump for too long, well…
When Lindsey is your voice of reason, you have serious problems & Tuberville has serious problems
— A King (@eyeweysee01) November 1, 2023
The scene on the Senate floor Wednesday evening was really the culmination of months of the GOP tension.
This is pretty wild. Months and months of built-up GOP anger is finally being unleashed on the floor against Tuberville, who is still not relenting.
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) November 1, 2023
As of this writing, Tuberville had not come to his senses. For now, you can enjoy a clip of the senator falling down some stairs.
(Via Mediaite)