Former Pentagon chiefs call for end to Tuberville hold on promotions

Seven former Pentagon chiefs sent a letter to the Senate Thursday urging lawmakers to end one GOP senator’s hold on 184 general and flag officer nominations and approve the promotions, warning the block is “harming military readiness and risks damaging U.S. national security.”

“The current hold that has been in place now for several weeks is preventing key leaders from
assuming important, senior command and staff positions around the world,” the letter reads.

“Some are unable to take important command positions, such as leading the 5th Fleet in Bahrain and the 7th Fleet in the Pacific, which are critical to checking Iranian and Chinese aggression,” the former Pentagon chiefs said. “Leaving these and many other senior positions in doubt at a time of enormous geopolitical uncertainty sends the wrong message to our adversaries and could weaken our deterrence.”

The letter was addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

It was signed by former Defense Department heads who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, including Mark Esper and James Mattis, who worked under former President Trump.

The other signatories served under the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations: William Perry, William Cohen, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also warned of “powerful effects” on the nation’s military readiness the longer the holdup continues.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) began holding up the nominees in February to protest a Defense Department policy that provides paid leave and reimburses service members who travel for an abortion.

Late last month, Tuberville blocked an attempt from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to advance the nominees by refusing to join a unanimous confirmation vote.

While some Republican senators are supporting the holdup, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), many in the GOP are growing weary of the blockade.

The former Pentagon heads said in Thursday’s letter that nominations are procedural in the Senate and previous holdups have traditionally been tied to concerns about an individual nominee.

They stressed that concerned senators should use other means available to address Pentagon policies, such as legislation or oversight hearings, rather than turn military officers into “political pawns.”

“If this blanket hold is not lifted, nearly 80 three- and four-star commanders who are
ending their terms in the coming months will not be able to be replaced,” they said. “Worse, this will impact certain members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the Chairman of the JCS.”

“There are also real-world impacts on the families of these senior officers. Most cannot move and resettle their families; their children cannot enroll at their next schools on time; and spouses
cannot start new jobs at the next duty station,” they continued. “We can think of few things as irresponsible and uncaring as harming the families of those who serve our nation in uniform.”