In a surprising turn of events, the Senate confirmed two new service chiefs on Thursday, overcoming the blockade by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville. However, there were indications that Democrats were not entirely supportive. Gen. Randy George has been appointed as the new Army Chief of Staff, while Gen. Eric Smith has been officially designated as the Marine Commandant. According to Politico, Smith’s confirmation vote was an overwhelming 96-0, whereas George received a 96-1 approval, with the sole dissenting vote coming from Republican Sen. Mike Lee. The confirmation of Gen. Charles Brown Jr. had taken place on Wednesday afternoon after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reversed his stance on voting individually for nominees. This change was necessitated by Tuberville’s blocking of group votes, as part of his efforts to influence a Pentagon policy on abortion.
Until the vote on Gen. Brown, Democrats had expressed concerns about establishing a precedent by singling out a few nominees for confirmation. Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized allowing Tuberville to determine which nominations receive a floor vote, calling it “fundamentally wrong,” according to Punchbowl News. Sen. Tammy Duckworth highlighted the fact that the confirmation of the three nominees creates vacancies in their previous senior positions. The Democrat remarked, “We’re taking three steps forward and three steps backward.” Duckworth further emphasized that the other approximately 300 positions blocked by Tuberville are equally vital for national security.
Democrats placed the blame on Tuberville, not Schumer, for the situation. Sen. Chris Murphy stated, “Nothing that Chuck Schumer does on the floor contributes to Tommy Tuberville’s decision to continue to sacrifice the security of the country.” They called on Republicans to address their rogue member and believed that Tuberville’s push for a vote on Smith indicated GOP pressure. However, a USA Today survey found little evidence of other Republicans exerting influence on Tuberville. (Tuberville’s block is rooted in his opposition to the military’s abortion policy.)
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