"Tuberville and Senate Republicans employ rare tactic to push for vote on Marine Corps commandant nomination"
Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville and a group of Senate Republicans are considering a rarely used tactic to break the Senate's gridlock on stalled military nominees by forcing a procedural vote on the Marine Corps commandant nominee. This breach of Senate protocol aims to shift blame onto Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for refusing to put individual nominees on the floor. Tuberville's blockade stems from his demands to scrap the Pentagon's policy on travel allowances for troops seeking abortions. Schumer has refused to schedule a vote, fearing it would incentivize other senators to place holds for their policy objectives. Tuberville needs 16 other signatures on a petition to set up a procedural vote, which would require 51 votes to succeed.