President Joe Biden on Thursday hit out at Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong effort to block the upper chamber from advancing hundreds of promotions for military officers and nominations for key positions in the US armed services, calling the Republican lawmaker’s position “ridiculous” and a threat to national security.
Mr Biden, who addressed a question about Mr Tuberville’s actions during a press conference alongside Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Helsinki, said he’d be willing to speak with the first-term senator if he thought there was any possibility that it would result in him lifting his hold on the long list of nominations.
Mr Tuberville announced months ago that he would use his authority to block any and all military promotions requiring Senate approval until the Defense Department reverses a policy which reimburses service members who travel to obtain medical care. The policy was rolled out in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court decision overturning the federal right to abortion and is meant to protect female service members who seek reproductive health care.
The president condemned the senator’s “totally irresponsible” action and accused him of “jeopardising US security”. He added that he expects the rest of Mr Tuberville’s GOP colleagues to “stand up and do something about it”.
“The idea that we're injecting into fundamental foreign policy decisions what in fact, is a domestic social debate on social issues is bizarre. I don't ever recall that happening, ever. And it's just totally irresponsible in my view,” he said.
Mr Biden added that he is “confident” that the “mainstream Republican Party” does not support the senator’s actions, and said Republicans who oppose what Mr Tuberville is doing must “stand up and be counted” to pressure him to end his one-man blockade.
Currently, hundreds of line officers awaiting promotions to the rank of Colonel or above in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps or Space Force, or the rank of Captain or above in the US Navy, are being prevented from assuming their new ranks and taking up new positions because of Mr Tuberville’s actions.
Earlier this week, the former Commandant of the US Marine Corps retired without a Senate-confirmed replacement, leaving that position vacant for the first time in more than a century.
Air Force General Charles Brown — Mr Biden’s pick to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week that the military “will lose talent” because of problems arising out of the monthslong promotion block. He explained that the nomination holds could reduce military readiness by forcing less-experienced officers to take up leadership roles they are not ready for, and by discouraging junior officers from remaining in the service and creating hardships for the families of those awaiting promotion.
“We have strong deputies, but at the same time, they don’t have the same level of experience going forward,” he said.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh has said as many as 650 positions may be vacant by 31 December if Mr Tuberville does not relent.
