Promotions on Pause ⏸️

For the last three months, there have been no high-level promotions across the U.S. military. That’s all thanks to one man: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) from Alabama.

Military promotions are typically approved via unanimous consent, enabling senators to unanimously approve military promotions in batches. If any senator objects, then promotions must be voted on individually by a roll call vote. That’s exactly what Sen. Tuberville began doing back in late February. His consistent objections have resulted in a total blockade of military promotions. While the Senate could theoretically vote on promotions individually, doing so would effectively block all other Senate business from occurring as there are nearly 200 personnel awaiting approval of their promotions.

Plain and simple: this kind of political gamesmanship hampers military readiness; it’s not hard to see how. Back in late April, Pres. Biden tapped Gen. Randy George to be the Army’s next Chief of Staff and he can’t assume that position until receiving confirmation from the Senate. (Luckily for Tuberville, the Army’s current chief of staff, Gen. James McConville, isn’t planning to retire until later this Summer.)

A dive into the Reddit community /r/military helps clarify even further the ways Sen. Tuberville is actively harming the military through his blockade. To start, commenters quickly note that blocking high-level promotions causes a chain reaction across the entire military: positions vacated by those receiving promotions would normally be given to personnel further down the chain of command. So in effect, blocking high-level promotions also blocks many low-level promotions that don’t need Senate approval. Commenters also highlight that blocking these nominations only punishes people who have no control over Tuberville’s grievances and might contribute to the military’s ongoing problems with recruitment. Nearly 200 military personnel are forgoing raises and/or added benefits simply because one person in Congress wants to throw a temper tantrum. That’s definitely not a way to entice citizens to enlist nor a way to encourage retention of current recruits.

But when met with these criticisms, Sen. Tuberville contends that it’s not his actions but those of Democrats as to why we’re “losing in the military so fast.” I’ll let him take it from here…

*sigh* where do we begin with this filth….

White nationalism has been a well known, heavily documented problem for the U.S. military for decades. Several federal agencies, the Pentagon, and most recently the President have identified white supremacists as an increasing, if not the leading domestic terror threat in the United States. Their ties to the military, current and former, are heavily researched and cited. Meanwhile when Tuberville is faced with this very well known problem: “I call them Americans.” 🤷

So if Sen. Tuberville is not holding up military promotions due to the clear and present danger of white supremacy within its ranks, what is this really all about?

‘Pro-Life’ May Mean Less Reproductive Care

The reversal of Roe v. Wade has affected access not just to abortion but to adequate, comprehensive reproductive care in several rural, conservative states. Many military personnel who are stationed in these anti-abortion states still desire access to the procedure among other reproductive and maternity care options that are being restricted by conservative lawmakers. So in October 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a memo, directing the department to cover costs for those who now have to travel out-of-state to receive reproductive care.

Nearly Half of Arkansas' Counties are Maternity Care Deserts Justin Brown · Apr 3 Read full story

This commitment to military readiness, bodily autonomy and gender equality has Sen. Tuberville so heated that he’s practically holding the military hostage until his demands are met. At his core, he’s myopically focused on preventing the use of federal funds to fund abortions. His actions have been met with increasing trepidation by his Republican colleagues and military leaders have signaled no willingness to revert the policy. An anonymous Republican senator said it best, “He’s taken a hostage that you can’t shoot.”

The military has no need to relent to his requests. While the stalemate will harm the military in the short term, the long term effects are most likely to fall on Tuberville. At the end of the Summer a new Army Chief of Staff will need to be confirmed and the collective patience for Tuberville’s antics will have worn thin. While the majority of his deeply conservative base of Alabama voters is pretty clearly anti-abortion, they back the U.S. military more forcefully and are likely to turn on him if they perceive his actions as hindering national security.

So unfortunately, we may just have to sit and wait until Sen. Tuberville runs out of runway. And whenever he finally relents, the unnecessary cruelty of his months-long crusade will be inescapable.

Leftover Links

• If you haven’t figured it out by now, for Republicans, the cruelty is the point.

• Mitch McConnell has voiced his disagreement with Tuberville’s crusade, but will he do anything about it?