Senate confirms three military officers as Sen. Tuberville holds up hundreds more

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, TARA COPP and LOLITA BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed three top military officers, including the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Thurday’s confirmations came as bipartisan frustration swirled around Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville for blocking hundreds more nominees. Republican senators plan to hold a closed-door meeting next week to discuss the Alabama senator’s blockade of senior military nominees, which he has been waging over a Pentagon abortion policy. Republicans have tried unsuccessfully for almost nine months to quietly persuade Tuberville to drop the holds on almost 400 nominees. Senior military officials have warned repeatedly that the situation threatens readiness and national security.