Republican senators are publicly attacking their own colleague for refusing to let up on his military holds.

Senate Republicans are starting to turn on Tommy Tuberville over his blockade of military promotions.

The Senate brought 61 individual nominees to the floor for a vote Wednesday night. Tuberville objected to all of them, tanking each officer’s promotion. He has repeatedly insisted that his blockade, a protest of the Department of Defense’s abortion policy, does not harm military readiness.

But his Republican colleagues were finally sick of hearing it. “No offense, but that’s just ridiculous,” Senator Dan Sullivan said. “He knows it. We all know it.”

Sullivan revealed that the military expects Tuberville’s blockade to affect 89 percent of all general officer positions, across all branches.

“Xi Jinping is loving this. So is Putin,” Sullivan said, referring to the presidents of China and Russia. “How dumb can we be, man?”

  • ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    1 year ago

    Now, see, I’m really glad you brought up Fetterman. Not just because I love the guy, but because he is a fantastic example of how quickly and effectively the Senate can legislate when there is a political will, like Fetterman’s personal sartorial choices.

    It’s late September, 2023. Fetterman has been wearing casual clothing to work since his release from the hospital for depression, and his party is cool with it, even moving to relax the unofficial Senate dress code for him . . . but then Fetterman ends up leading the Senate for a hot minute in a short-sleeved shirt. Hundreds of military promotions have lingered untouched and frozen for months, Ukraine is desperately waiting for US aid, the entire US government is teetering on the brink of a GOP-led shutdown, but Fetterman presides over the Senate in a short-sleeved shirt and within a SINGLE WEEK the Senate has a new dress code, physically enforced by the Sergeant-at-Arms.

    Forty-six Republican senators (all but three) sent a letter to Schumer demanding he reverse the change, writing, “The world watches us on that floor and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs.” That prompted West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and Utah Republican Mitt Romney to introduce a resolution earlier this week that would formally instate an enforceable dress code for the Senate floor. The SHORTS Act (“SHow Our Respect To the Senate,” according to Politico) requires business attire, specifying “a coat, tie, and slacks or other long pants” for men. It doesn’t say anything about women.

    Funny, but for as clearly as I recall so many Senate votes over the years, I don’t remember a fucking thing these people have ever worn. If the GOP had a fraction of as much concern for their constituents and their jobs as they do about their clothing, this country would be entirely different today.

    TL;DR: The Senate can do things with amazing effectiveness and rapidity when they want to. But when it comes to our military and ensuring its competent leadership by allowing posts to be filled and promotions to take place as needed, they just don’t fucking feel like it.

    • dhork@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      I am in agreement with everything you wrote here.

      But I only brought Fetterman into this because the guy I was replying to wanted “the biggest guy in the room” to punch Coach repeatedly. And I think it’s well known that Fetterman is the biggest guy in that chamber.