Tuberville’s hold on military promotions would apply to CQ Brown

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military promotions will apply to Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr.’s elevation to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his spokesperson said. at NBC News.

Tuberville, R-Ala., has faced bipartisan criticism for blocking the promotions of more than 150 military officials in protest of a recent Department of Defense policy that provides travel and paid leave for service members and their dependents seeking abortions.

Biden formally announced Thursday that he had chosen Brown to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Army Gen. Mark Milley when his term ends in October. If Brown is confirmed, he would be the second black man to hold the post, after the late Colin Powell, who served under former President George W. Bush.

The president called Brown a “fearless leader and an unyielding patriot,” noting that he was confirmed to his current position as Air Force Chief of Staff in 2020 by a 98-0 vote. . “I urge the Senate to once again confirm General Brown with the same overwhelming bipartisan support from him for his new role,” Biden said.

Senate approval of promotions for high-level officers and generals is usually a quick and smooth task, but any senator can make it less efficient. Most military promotions are approved by the Senate by unanimous consent, which means that all 100 senators agree to approve them without a vote.

Tuberville is using a procedural tactic to block quick confirmation from military officials, which will also apply to Brown, his office said, because the suspension applies to all one-star and above nominations. While Tuberville’s grip cannot prevent the Senate from processing any promotion, it can significantly slow down a process that is usually done without a vote at all.

Adam Hodge, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Thursday that “Tuberville threatens our national security with its political game and jeopardizes our military readiness by depriving our armed forces of leadership at a critical time.”

“As we face persistent threats to our national security around the world, we need our military nominees – and certainly our next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – to be confirmed quickly. Senators should not playing politics with our military, its prep, or our military families,” Hodge said in a statement.

Asked earlier this month if he supported the Tuberville grabs, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, RK.Y., said, “No, I don’t support the suspension of military appointments. I can’t stand this.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said in March, “One senator — just one senator, my colleague from Alabama, Senator Tuberville — is blocking all confirmations from generals and general officers. , taking our military, our national security, our security hostage.”

Tuberville said he would maintain the promotions until the policy is changed. “In the last 40 years, I don’t remember a single military member ever complaining that we weren’t doing enough abortions,” he told a Senate hearing earlier this year. . “I want our military to be the strongest and deadliest ever, but I also want the administration to obey the law.