"I'm releasing everybody," the Republican lawmaker from conservative-leaning Alabama told reporters, referring to most suspended nominations.

"I still got a hold on, I think, 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released from me."

Tuberville had blocked hundreds of promotions or confirmations of US military staff for several months in the Senate, where a single member in the 100-seat chamber has a right to place holds on such appointments.

The first-term senator has long protested Defense Department policy, which he has deemed too favorable to military personnel who seek abortions.

If one senator blocks votes for swift approval of nominations for federal office, the other members can overcome the obstacle by organizing a series of votes to lift the hold.

But the Tuberville scenario was tricky because of the tradition of confirming senior military posts en bloc and by unanimous vote.

To overcome his blockade, a series of roll call votes would have been required for each appointment, a laborious process that would take months and gum up the lawmaking work of the Senate.