The Senate on Tuesday evening confirmed more than 400 military promotions just hours after Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville ended his monthslong blockade in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy.

What You Need To Know

  • The Senate on Tuesday evening confirmed more than 400 military promotions just hours after Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville ended his monthslong blockade in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy

  • Tuberville released his hold on promotions for three-star nominees and below, which represented the bulk of the more than 400 military promotions being held up by his protest, but he told reporters outside the Capitol that he still has a hold on roughly 11 four-star generals

  • His actions drew the ire of both Democrats and his fellow Republicans alike, as well as military officials and advocates who said it was negatively impacting military readiness

  • Critics said that Tuberville's anger was misplaced and that he was blocking the promotions of people who had nothing to do with the policy he opposed

The freshman Alabama Republican said earlier Tuesday he would release his hold on promotions for three-star nominees and below, which represents the bulk of the more than 400 military promotions being held up by Tuberville's protest. His actions drew the ire of both Democrats and his fellow Republicans alike, as well as military officials and advocates who said it was negatively impacting military readiness. 

"We didn’t get the win that we wanted," he acknowledged. "We’ve still got the bad policy."

But, he said, "I'm not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer."

Tuberville told reporters outside the Capitol that he still has holds on roughly 11 four-star generals.

"Everybody else is completely released from me," he continued, acknowledging that other senators could put holds on some nominees. "But other than that, it's over."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quickly moved the chamber to consider the more than 400 promotions released by Tuberville; the chamber confirmed them with unanimous consent.

"While today's confirmations are good news, these holds should never have happened in the first place," the New York Democrat said on the Senate floor.

"The first thing I would like to do is to apologize to the hundreds of officers, men and women who have dedicated themselves to their country, and also to their families," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed, D-R.I., after the vote.

Tuberville was blocking the nominations in opposition to new Pentagon rules that allow reimbursement for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. President Joe Biden’s administration instituted the new rules after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion, and some states have limited or banned the procedure.

Critics said that Tuberville's ire was misplaced and that he was blocking the promotions of people who had nothing to do with the policy he opposed.

In a statement Tuesday evening after the Senate confirmed the promotions, President Joe Biden accused Tuberville of "undermining military readiness and the morale of our troops."

"These confirmations are long overdue, and should never have been held up in the first place. Our service members are the backbone of our country and deserve to receive the pay and promotions they have earned," Biden said. 

"In the end, this was all pointless," the president continued, charging that Tuberville and his fellow Republicans who did not take action sooner "needlessly hurt hundreds of servicemembers and military families and threatened our national security – all to push a partisan agenda."

"I hope no one forgets what he did," the president added. "Those who serve this nation deserve better."

“Why are we punishing American heroes who have nothing to with the dispute?" said Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. "Remember we are against the Biden abortion travel policy, but why are we punishing people who have nothing to do with the dispute and if they get confirmed can’t fix it? No one has had an answer for that question because there is no answer.”

Tuberville lifted the holds after a group of senators devised a path forward to circumvent his blockade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.