Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, is pushing ahead with three key military nominations despite Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville’s months-long blockade of hundreds of nominees. This obstruction comes after Gen. Eric Smith, the commandant of the Marine Corps, was hospitalized due to a medical emergency over the weekend.
Schumer took action on Tuesday to advance the nominations of Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney for the Marine Corps’ second-in-command, as well as the chief of naval operations and the Air Force chief of staff, for a vote in the Senate.
During his remarks on the Senate floor, Schumer criticized Tuberville for his blanket hold on the nominations. He highlighted the urgency of Lt. Gen. Mahoney’s confirmation in light of Gen. Eric Smith’s sudden hospitalization and emphasized the risks of playing politics with military appointments.
Schumer stressed the importance of a responsive chain of command in the face of emergencies.
Tuberville has faced backlash for blocking the confirmation of over 300 high-level nominees. He claims his blockade aims to reverse the Defense Department’s policy regarding time off and travel reimbursement for service members and their families seeking abortions out of state.
On Tuesday, Tuberville attempted to force a vote on Mahoney’s nomination following Smith’s unexpected hospitalization. He made it clear that he will not lift his hold on other senior military promotions until the Pentagon changes its abortion policy.
Tuberville stated that if the policy is reversed, he will release his hold on all nominations.
Tuberville’s communications director, Steven Stafford, commented on Schumer’s move, asserting that the senator forced the situation.
Stafford stated that this event marks the second time Tuberville has compelled Schumer to vote, demonstrating Tuberville’s and 16 other Republicans’ ability to repeat this action whenever they want.
If Tuberville’s hold had not been in place, it is likely that Mahoney’s nomination, submitted in July, would have been confirmed by now.
When Tuberville tried to force a floor vote on Mahoney’s nomination earlier on Tuesday, Schumer informed Democrats during a closed-door lunch that he would bring up the nomination, along with two others, for consideration this week.
Schumer argued that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East highlights the urgency of convincing Republicans, especially Tuberville, to abandon his current course of action. He pointed out that the incident involving the Marine Corps commandant underscores the unpredictability of future circumstances.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
