‘National security suicide mission’: Senate Republicans confront Tuberville over military holds

Alabama Republican continues blockade over Pentagon abortion policy, escalating standoff as defense officials say move endangers national security

Republican senators angrily challenged Tommy Tuberville on his blockade of almost 400 military officers Wednesday evening, taking over the Senate floor for more than four hours to call for individual confirmation votes after a months-long stalemate.

The Republican senator from Alabama stood and objected to each nominee – 61 times total, when the night was over – extending his holds on the military confirmations and promotions with no immediate resolution in sight. But the extraordinary confrontation between Republicans, boiling over almost nine months after Tuberville first announced the holds over a Pentagon abortion policy, escalated the standoff as defense department officials have repeatedly said the backlog of officials needing confirmation could endanger national security.