U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has been criticized for months for his holds on military promotions. On Wednesday, Tuberville attempted to bring the nomination of the candidate of General Eric Smith for Marine Corps Commandant to the floor. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York), in response, himself brought forward the nominations of senior officers – something that, as Majority Leader, he could have done at any time in this process.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to advance President Joe Biden’s nomination of U.S. Air Force General Charles “C.Q.” Brown to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Senate voted 89-8 to advance to a final vote on Brown’s nomination.
Tuberville has refused to give unanimous consent to batches of senior-level Defense Department promotions for the last seven months until President Biden reversed his abortion policy, which was an end around Congress and state laws.
Brown will replace outgoing Chairman Mark Milley, whose term ends October 1. A vote on final passage for Brown took place Wednesday evening, and Brown was confirmed 83 to 11. Tuberville was one of the 11 Republican Senators who voted to reject Brown’s confirmation.
Schumer moved to set votes on three key military leaders: Brown, Gen. Eric Smith to become commandant of the Marine Corps, and Gen. Randy George to serve as chief of staff of the Army.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl released a statement praising Tuberville.
“For months, Democrats and the mainstream media have been attacking Senator Tuberville with the claim that his holds on DOD promotions were putting our national security at risk,” Wahl said. “However, today’s actions by Chuck Schumer prove there was absolutely nothing stopping Senate Democrats from bringing up military promotions on a case-by-case basis. Instead of being honest and having an open debate on the root issue – using taxpayer money to fund abortions – liberal pundits and Democrat elected officials let this situation drag on as they played party politics. The reason? To vilify Alabama’s Republican senior Senator, who is simply trying to uphold the Hyde Amendment – which prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for abortion – and the Constitution, which gives the power of the purse to Congress.”
“The Alabama Republican Party is thankful to Senator Tuberville for exposing the hypocrisy of the left, as well as the Pentagon’s unconstitutional use of taxpayer money to fund abortions,” Wahl continued. “Now that the truth on this issue has been revealed for all Americans to see, it is my hope that the Pentagon will end its unlawful policy. Until then, we will continue to support Senator Tuberville and his stand for life and fiscal responsibility.”
Schumer’s maneuver was in response to Tuberville’s announced plan to force votes on Smith in the coming days, a move rarely put to use by rank-and-file senators in the minority.
“To be clear, my hold is still in place,” Tuberville said Wednesday night on the floor of the Senate. “I reserve the right to seek another cloture position on the nominees in the future, so that’s where we stand today.”
The Senate can confirm every Defense Department nominee through ordinary order, but that would require the Senators to spend much more time on the Senate floor doing their jobs: voting and going through normal parliamentary procedures.
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