The secretaries of the Military, Navy and Air Power are collectively calling on Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to finish his one-man blockade of senior navy promotions.
The secretaries aired their grievances in an op-ed for The Washington Submit on Monday, denouncing Tuberville’s alternative to dam the promotions over a Protection Division coverage permitting service members to make use of paid depart and stipends to journey for abortions and different reproductive care after the overturning of Roe v. Wade final yr. Democrats seem unified towards Tuberville’s actions, and a number of other Republicans — together with Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell — oppose the transfer as effectively. (Learn my MSNBC colleague Steve Benen’s recap of Tuberville’s shifting rationalization for the blockade.)
“Because the civilian leaders of the Navy, Air Power, Area Power and Military, we’re proud to work alongside distinctive navy leaders who’re expert, motivated and empowered to guard our nationwide safety,” the secretaries wrote, calling the navy leaders “the muse of America’s enduring navy benefit.” However they are saying “this basis is being actively eroded by the actions of a single U.S. senator, Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who is obstructing the affirmation of our most senior navy officers.”
The secretaries say the blockade has prevented the Pentagon from putting “virtually 300 of our most skilled and battle-tested leaders into crucial posts all over the world.” That quantity may surpass 600 by the top of the yr if Tuberville continues his publicity stunt, CNN reported on Tuesday.
And along with inflicting skilled and monetary hurt on service members, the blockade places U.S. nationwide safety in danger, too, the secretaries wrote.
The Military, Navy and Marine Corps are being led “by performing officers with out the complete vary of authorized authorities essential to make the selections that may maintain america’ navy edge,” they stated, including that many admirals and generals are being pressured to carry out two roles directly.
And this has led to a pressure on navy households, the secretaries stated:
We all know officers who’ve incurred important unexpected bills and are going through real monetary stress as a result of they’ve needed to relocate their households or unexpectedly preserve two residences. Navy spouses who’ve labored to construct careers of their very own are unable to search for jobs as a result of they don’t know when or if they’ll transfer. Kids haven’t recognized the place they’ll go to high school, which is especially onerous given how continuously navy kids change colleges already.
Tuberville’s hubris is exceptional right here. Want I remind you he’s a freshman senator with no prior expertise in politics?
And in just a few quick years, he’s gone from barking orders on the sideline of soccer video games to the frontline of a right-wing campaign, the place he’s gummed up a usually anodyne promotion course of.
The senator’s publicity stunt is missing in ethical, scientific and militaristic authority. All he has is energy. However sadly, that’s sufficient for one man to do quite a lot of harm.
