'They would rather burn down the Senate': Tuberville lashes out at White House as he defends military holds

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., rejected allegations that his hold on hundreds of military promotions is affecting military readiness and criticized the White House and Senate Democrats for not negotiating with him in an interview Sunday.

Military promotions for decades have been approved at large without controversy. But Tuberville has held up about 300 promotions since February in protest of a Pentagon policy that includes some paid leave and other expenses for service members traveling to have an abortion.

The Senate confirmed three military nominees to their new posts last month, maneuvering around Tuberville’s longstanding hold. But the Alabama lawmaker’s comments this week come as some Senate Democrats eye a procedural move to approve military promotions in bunches through the end of 2024, according to multiple reports.

For that plan to go into effect, nine Senate Republicans and all Democrats would have to sign off to navigate around Tuberville's protest in the upper chamber. In the Senate, any lawmaker can hold up legislation or nominations, even if 99 of their fellow senators want to proceed.

“It’s typical of this place. This administration would rather burn the Senate down and that’s what would happen. … If you change the rules of the Senate then it lasts forever,” Tuberville told CNN reporter Manu Raju. “So they would rather burn down the Senate than negotiate.”

“If they go around and, without negotiating, change the rules of the Senate it just goes to show you they want it their way or the highway,” he added.

Tuberville said he has had “little or no interaction” with the White House on a potential solution.

Though President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other top officials have accused Tuberville of endangering national security, Tuberville says members of the military told him no such thing was happening.

“If I thought this was happening, I wouldn’t be doing this. And I’ve told you that all along. And the people that I trust tell me that it’s not,” he told CNN.

Tuberville's block has largely been met with indifference among his Republican colleagues in the Senate, a USA TODAY survey earlier this year found.

However, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said he doesn't support Tuberville's hold, calling the move "a mistake" at a press conference last month.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tommy Tuberville doubles down on military holds over abortion protest