Lindsey Graham Fumes at Tuberville on the Senate Floor: ‘You Just Denied This Lady a Promotion’

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) railed against Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on the Senate floor on Wednesday, telling him he is harming military readiness.

Tuberville has held up more than 300 Department of Defense nominees over a Pentagon policy that reimburses service members’ out-of-state travel costs when they obtain abortions. President Joe Biden implemented the provision when the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year and some states began banning abortion. The policy ensures that service members stationed in states where the practice is illegal do not have to cover travel expenses out of pocket.

Senate rules allow any senator to block nominees by informing Senate leadership of the hold. Usually, such military nominees are confirmed by unanimous consent, but Tuberville’s gambit is preventing that.

“It’s about the right to life,” Tuberville said on the floor, defending his actions to his Republican colleagues who were in the process of ganging up on him over his holds. “These are some of the most important things in the world to me.”

Graham rose and castigated Tuberville’s actions.

“Let me respond to my colleague respectfully,” he began. “We have courts. If you think they’ve done something illegal, go to court. That’s how you handle these things.”

He then held up a photo of one of the nominees Tuberville blocked.

“You’ve just denied this lady a promotion,” Graham declared. “You did that. All of us are ready to promote her because she deserves to be promoted. She had nothing to do with this policy. Let me say it again. Everybody in this body could find an issue with any administration they don’t agree with. And what we’re going to do is open up a Pandora’s box.”

He later added, “No matter whether you believe it or not, Senator Tuberville, this is doing great damage to our military. I don’t say that lightly.”

Watch above via C-SPAN.