House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) condemned Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) blockade on hundreds of nominations and promotions for military leaders, calling it "paralyzing" and a "national security problem."

The Republican defense leader's criticism of Tuberville highlights the growing concern in Washington over military readiness with so many officers stuck in limbo.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS RETURN TO MESSY APPROPRIATIONS FIGHT AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOMS

"This is paralyzing the Department of Defense," McCaul said on CNN's State of the Union. "The idea that one man in the Senate can hold this up for months ... I understand maybe promotions, but nominations is paralyzing the Department of Defense. I think that is a national security problem."

For months, Tuberville has demanded that the Pentagon reverse its policy that uses government funds to reimburse travel expenses for female service members seeking an abortion. Due to the upper chamber's rules, the Republican senator has the power to refuse to sign off on the military's nominations and promotions, and he has refused to budge even in the face of severe opposition.

Tuberville not only believes he has the moral high ground, but he is adamant that the Pentagon's policy is illegal and has cited the support he has been shown from lawmakers and veterans alike. He has also claimed that the Senate can move through nominations and promotions one by one, but Democrats have decried this idea as unrealistic given the length of time it would take.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and others have harshly criticized Tuberville's actions, and Austin has also refused to budge, with his reasoning being that women can't choose where they are stationed and thus should not be punished by the abortion policy of the state where they reside.

Democrats have appealed to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to rein in Tuberville, but the sharpest disapproval the GOP leader, who is dealing with his own problems, has issued is to say he does not support the Alabama senator's blockade.

This makes McCaul's comments all the more significant as Republican opposition to Tuberville's stance, at least in public, has been minimal.

"I really wish he would reconsider this because we're working this issue out in the National Defense Authorization. We worked it out in the House side, we're going to conference in the Senate, we're going to work out this abortion issue that has been a tradition within the NDAA, but to hold up the top brass from being promoted, and lower brass, I think is paralyzing our Department of Defense," McCaul said.

But anyone who expects Tuberville to change course quickly has not been paying attention. Steven Stafford, a spokesman for Tuberville, told NBC News that McCaul's comments were "inaccurate."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“No one can stop [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer from holding votes on these nominations. He just doesn’t want to,” Stafford said, referring to the majority leader's ability to call votes on nominations one at a time. “It’s also inaccurate because acting officials are in all of these roles. In some cases these acting officials are the nominees for permanent roles. No jobs are open or going undone right now.”

DOD nominees that require Senate confirmation are typically approved in batches, usually without objection, to avoid a severely prolonged process. While Tuberville lacks the power to permanently block the nominees, he can significantly delay their confirmations. The first-term senator has vowed to continue his effort until the Pentagon reverses its policy.