Congressional watchdog to review impact of Tuberville's hold on military promotions

The Government Accountability Office plans to look into the consequences of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's nearly 10-month hold on most military promotions.

The GAO, which serves as the research arm of Congress, agreed to a request from Democrats to look into the matter after Tuberville, R-Ala., blocked promotions for more than 425 senior military leaders for more than nine months to protest the Department of Defense's abortion policies. Tuberville ended his hold on promotions in December 2023 despite not getting what he wanted.

U.S. Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., had asked U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, head of the GAO, to review the blockade of military promotions, including the short and long-term effects on the U.S. Department of Defense and the nation's national security.

"We accepted the request and the work is expected to begin shortly," a GAO spokesperson told The Center Square on Tuesday.

Tuberville made his stand in response to Pentagon policy that allowed service members time off and pay to travel to other states for abortions. That Biden administration policy was enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Under U.S. law, generals and admirals of the five armed services require Senate confirmation.

Raskin and Garcia wrote in their letter that the blockade "created a damaging ripple effect on the careers of service members at all levels" and that "such career stagnation radiates massive effects on factors such as servicemember retention, pay, pension, and future opportunities."

An email sent to Tuberville's press office on Tuesday wasn't immediately returned.