Alaska GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is defending a monthslong block of more than 270 military promotions by fellow Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama — saying the impasse can be settled with a compromise.
In an interview Sunday on "Meet the Press," Sullivan pushed back on Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth's depiction of Tuberville's blockade as a threat to national security.
"Every senator has the right to place holds on nominees on an issue of policy importance," Sullivan argued.
"Sen. Duckworth has had the exact same hold that Tommy Tuberville does a couple years ago on generals to be promoted," Sullivan pointed out.
His reference was to Duckworth's announced plan in 2020 to hold up 1,000 military promotions until then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed the promotion of impeachment witness Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman would not be blocked.
Duckworth's holds lasted less than two weeks.
"Every single one of these kind of holds, 99% of them get resolved through compromise. And what needs to happen, the secretary of Defense, Sen. Tuberville, [Senate Leader] Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.] need to sit down and have that pass," Sullivan said.
In Duckworth's comments on "Meet the Press," she called it "bizarre" for Tuberville to "say that he's not jeopardizing national security when he injects politics into the defense process."
"And, frankly, this is not the time to do it — not when there is a war going on in Europe, not when American leadership is vital to the international global order," said Duckworth. "It's beyond distressing. It is just that. It is a jeopardization to our national security."
Tuberville has held up military confirmations over the Pentagon's policy of paying for service members to travel to seek abortions.
The tactic has left the Marine Corps without a Senate-confirmed leader for the first time in 100 years, Politico reported, adding that if the blockade continues in the coming weeks, it could mean the same for the leaders of the Army, Navy, and the Joint Chiefs nominee.
More than 200 other military promotions — and accompanying pay raises — have also been blocked, the news outlet noted.
Tuberville has said he would be willing to vote on nominees one by one; the promotions are usually approved by the Senate in large blocks.
"Republican leadership has offered him multiple off-ramps to this, and he's backed himself into a corner," Duckworth complained Sunday.