Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)’s unprecedented grip on military promotions has left the Marine Corps without a confirmed leader for the first time in 164 years, sparking outrage from Democrats who say his actions compromise security national.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger officially retired on Monday, leaving Deputy Commandant Gen. Eric Smith as acting commandant and head of the military branch until confirmed in the Senate.
Democrats tried to confirm Smith via a unanimous consent request on Monday, but Tuberville blocked the move to protest a new Pentagon policy that provides paid time off and travel reimbursement for service members crossing US borders. state to have an abortion. The policy was enacted after the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion rights and overturned Roe v. Wade.
The Alabama Republican’s sway involves more than 250 Pentagon general and general officers. In order to approve each promotion, Democrats would have to schedule multiple votes in the Senate, which would consume valuable time. It would likely take months to process them all — time the Senate simply doesn’t have if it wants to pass appropriation bills and avoid a government shutdown this year.
“If Democrats are so worried about General Smith in an interim position, then let’s vote,” Tuberville said Monday after blocking the request, making it clear he would support Smith if his confirmation came to a vote.
Sen. Jack Reed (DR.I.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, accused Tuberville of using military officers and their families awaiting promotion as “pawns” because uncertainty in the Senate has them. put in limbo.
“Their families cannot move into their new homes. Their children cannot prepare for a new school. Their spouses cannot take new jobs. It’s not a game – it’s real lives that have been turned upside down,” Reed said.
John Kirby, White House national security spokesman, also criticized Tuberville for his grip on Smith’s confirmation on Tuesday.
“When you’re in an acting capacity, while you can do a lot of things that a confirmed person can do, some of your authorities are limited,” Kirby said in an interview with MSNBC. “Part of your ability to maneuver money and schedule things is going to be affected by the fact that you’re unconfirmed by the Senate.”
Republicans and Democrats have suggested Tuberville other ways to state his position on the issue, including a vote on an amendment to the annual defense bill, but he says he will only lift the blockages. on two conditions: the policy is formalized by law in an autonomous vote on the ground or completely abandoned.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters last month that he did not support maintaining military promotions as leverage. However, most of Tuberville’s GOP colleagues support him, and he told reporters he felt no pressure from leaders to change course.
Democrats could try to change Senate rules to shift military promotions to Tuberville’s sway — something Republicans have done several times when they were in the majority — but that would require 50 votes.
“There is no consensus to do this at this point — for anything,” Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the No. 3 Senate Democrat, told HuffPost.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) suggested Monday that Democrats are relishing the fight for military promotions with Tuberville, who has become a foil to Democratic senators as well as President Joe Biden, who recently called him out for bragging infrastructure funding he voted against.
“They like that posture,” Cornyn said, noting that Democrats could schedule a vote on any promotion.
But Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who also serves on the Armed Services Committee, pointed the finger at Tuberville’s GOP colleagues for not doing more to get the promotions approved.
“You can’t turn this into ‘This is a problem the Democrats can fix,'” Warren said. “Under Senate rules, as they currently exist, Senator Tuberville can continue to block these candidates indefinitely. This is where the battle line must be drawn. It’s about whether a member can put our entire national security at risk. Senator Tuberville is doing it, and right now he is doing it with the tacit approval of his fellow Republicans.