'I can't win': Tuberville reveals why he gave up on his military blockade

After months of mounting pressure and frustration among both lawmakers and the military brass, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) is finally ending his protest block on over 400 military appointments and promotions, letting them all be confirmed by voice vote. He continues to hold a block on just 11 four-star generals, who could be scheduled and confirmed individually by the Senate.

Speaking to CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju, Tuberville admitted he gave up because if he waited any longer, the nominations would have been returned to the White House, causing even further chaos.

"I can’t win. I’m still thinking about the unborn, I’m thinking about the military people that need to be promoted, it’s been a year for a lot of them. It’s been a long time," said Tuberville. "I think we proved a point. It's not — we didn't lose, the American people lost here."

Asked whether he believed he hurt military readiness with his obstruction, he said, "Oh, no. Oh, no. I think it helped it. I think people opened their eyes a little bit. Yeah, I could care less what [the Pentagon says] because they I mean — they have not helped.” (High-ranking military officials, including the Secretary of Defense, have broadly said Tuberville's holds hurt military readiness and endangered national security.)

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Tuberville's blockade was a protest against a Pentagon policy, passed in the wake of the Supreme Court's elimination of Roe v. Wade, that lets servicemembers who need abortions take paid leave from states where the procedure is illegal, to travel to states where it is legal — although military healthcare still doesn't actually pay for abortions unless they are medically necessary.

Had the Pentagon acceded to Tuberville's demands and repealed the policy, servicemembers' abortion rights would have been dependent on where they are stationed, affecting up to 80,000 troops per a 2022 study; some experts warned it could have made it harder to enlist women in the military at all.