WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Thursday that one Republican Senator is jeopardizing national security by holding up votes. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has found himself in the headlines recently, both for remarks about white supremacists and for blocking the confirmation of promotions for hundreds of high-ranking military officers.
As a result, WUSA9 viewers Stafford and Samuel asked how one member of the Senate could stop the other 99 from voting.
THE QUESTION
Can one U.S. senator prevent votes against the wishes of the other 99 Senators?
THE SOURCES
Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)
THE ANSWER
For one specific kind of vote, a single senator may block the vote, even if the rest of the Senate would have voted in lockstep.
WHAT WE FOUND
Sen. Tuberville outlined his plan to block military promotions beginning in the fall of 2022. On Dec. 9, he wrote to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that he would halt any confirmation proceedings unless the Department of Defense rescinded a policy, created in the wake of abortion restrictions passed after the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, allowing repayment for expenses incurred by female servicemembers who traveled out of state for abortions.
He has held firm in that stance.
Sen. Jack Reed, speaking on the Senate floor Monday, said Tuberville had blocked 251 promotion votes so far. In a letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren on May 5, Austin estimated that 650 general and flag officers would come up for promotion in 2023, including for many the highest positions in the American military.
Those promotions require confirmation by the Senate, but historically, it approves them by unanimous consent.
Unanimous consent is a Senate rule that requires every member to agree. If they do, they may quickly shape the rules and duration of debate on a given issue, or waive rules to allow for an expedited vote.
If one member objects, however, the Senate must abide by its established rules, which allow for lengthy debate.
The Senate typically relies on unanimous consent to confirm military promotions in part because of the number of them and the time they would otherwise require.
Sen. Tuberville indicated that he would like to hold hearings and votes for each individual officer.
During his floor speech Monday, Sen. Reed said the Congressional Research Office indicated that would take 668 hours.