Back Pay Floated for Officers Whose Promotions Were Delayed by Tuberville While Handful Still Await Confirmation – By Rebecca Kheel (Military.com) / Dec 8, 2023
Generals and admirals whose promotions were delayed for months by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., could get back pay for the time they were waiting to be confirmed under bipartisan legislation unveiled Friday.
The bill comes as a couple of dozen officers are still waiting to be promoted despite the Senate clearing 425 nominees from the backlog earlier this week. In addition to 12 four-star nominees that Tuberville is still blocking, another Republican senator has said he is delaying a few military nominees over their support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Earlier this week, Tuberville announced he was largely ending the blockade he had maintained for 11 months on all general and flag officer nominees waiting to be confirmed by the Senate. He was using a procedural tactic known as a hold to protest the Pentagon policy of covering leave and travel for service members seeking abortions.
While Tuberville did not win any changes to the Pentagon’s abortion policy, he dropped his hold on nominees for three-stars and below amid growing pressure from his Senate Republican colleagues.
