WASHINGTON — For more than nine months, their careers were stuck in limbo.
Now, 425 military officers whose promotions got stalled by Sen. Tommy Tuberville' (R-Alabama) and his hold may get retroactive raises.
The "Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act" seeks to provide back pay to those officers.
If passed, the bill would get the officers' pay retroactively raised up to 30 days after they were first nominated and apply time credit to other benefits, such as retirement pay.
Following unanimous passage Thursday in the Senate, Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine said in a joint statement:
"The brave men and women of our military do not serve any particular political party. They serve our nation as a whole – working to defend our national interests and the values that we hold sacred as Americans. As such, we owe it to the members of our military to prevent them from becoming pawns in any political game. After a months-long blockade by a single Senator, we're glad to see over 400 military promotions finally moving forward and are proud to pass legislation to ensure that this senseless hold does not affect the pay, seniority, or benefits, of our brave men and women in uniform."
Tuberville blocked the promotions, dating back to March, over his opposition to Pentagon policy allowing troops to take leave in order receive out of state reproductive health care. When he finally quit the blockade last week, he said: "It's been a long fight. We fought hard. We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military."
Ironically, one of the new measure's 36 co-sponsors in the Senate was Tuberville.