The Pentagon says there are 301 generals and admirals whose nominations have been placed in limbo because of an indefinite “hold” by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, who wants the military to change its policy of reimbursing servicemembers for travel to get reproductive care, including abortions.
By the end of the year, the Pentagon says that number could swell to 650 generals and admirals who need Senate confirmation before they can assume their jobs. Any single senator can put a hold on nominations under Senate rules.
AFAIK, fillibuster applies. So you actually need 60 votes to really do anything controversial (with a handful of exceptions). So no, having those two people wouldn’t have made a difference. We’d need 10 half decent republicans and those don’t exist.
IMO the blame needs to be correctly focused. As awful as they are, bad things aren’t happening because of 2 senators who were elected as Democrats (but don’t vote like them). The bad things happen because of the many, many republican senators who almost consistently refuse to vote for morally right bills.
Like, there’s no good reason for PR and DC to not be states. Except for the fact that they’d both lean Democrat, so the GOP cannot allow it. They care only about winning, not democracy.