December 05, 2023

Warren Statement on Tuberville Dropping Holds for Hundreds of Military Nominees

Washington, D.C. — Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) issued the following statement on Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) announcement that he is lifting his monthslong blockade of hundreds of military nominations of three-star rank and below, amounting to over 400 promotions:

"For nine months, Tommy Tuberville risked our national security and treated military families like political footballs. Thankfully, American service members who defend our freedoms will continue to be able to get the reproductive health care they and their families need. Senator Tuberville’s blockade likely did permanent damage to our military in terms of retention and recruitment, as well as hurt our standing in the world. He is still stopping eleven 4-star military leaders from assuming their duties. It's wrong — military leaders and their families deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and every single hold must end."

As Chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Warren has been a leader in fighting to overcome one Republican’s reckless and dangerous military nominations holds:

  • On September 14, 2023, At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren questioned Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti, nominee for reappointment to be Chief of Naval Operations, on the increasingly detrimental effects of Senate Republican holds on over 300 high level military officer nominees.
  • On September 12, 2023, Senator Warren questioned Chief of Staff of the Air Force nominee General David W. Allvin on the impact and national security risks of Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on military promotions. 
  • On August 25, 2023, Senators Warren and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) met with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leadership and members of the European Parliament and U.S. Mission to the European Union (USEU) in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine and strengthening the transatlantic partnership. Warren and Blumenthal traveled to Belgium from an earlier visit to Kyiv, Ukraine. Warren and Blumenthal also discussed with NATO leadership how Senate Republican actions to indefinitely block Department of Defense promotions are impacting military readiness and regional security. 
  • On August 2, 2023, Senator Warren joined her fellow Armed Services Committee members, Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Blumenthal, Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (D-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) to send a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), urging him to put an end to Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) reckless hold on more than 260 military officer promotions.
  • On July 26, 2023, Senator Warren joined her Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor for the third time to urge Senator Tommy Tuberville to lift his hold on military nominations.
  • On July 21, 2023, at a hearing. Senator Warren closed by urging Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to lift his hold on military nominations.
  • On July 11, 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., President Biden’s nominee to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke to the negative effects Senator Tuberville’s holds on over 250 senior military nominations have on retention across the services and the burden they pose on military families, warning “we will lose talent.”
  • On June 13, 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Eric M. Smith, nominee to be appointed as Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, agreed with Senator Warren in her continued concern about the impact of Senator Tuberville’s blanket hold on senior military nominations on our national security and military readiness.
  • On June 1, 2023, Senator Warren spoke on the floor of the Senate a second time to call out Republicans, led by Senator Tuberville, for blocking the nominations of 221 key senior military officials. According to the Secretary of Defense these holds harm servicemembers and pose grave threats to military readiness and national security.
  • On May 10, 2023, Senator Warren released a letter from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, highlighting how Senator Tuberville's indefinite holds prevent the Senate from advancing 196 Department of Defense military nominees poses a clear risk to military readiness and harms national security.
  • On May 2, 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren questioned the Secretary of the Air Force about the risks to national security and military readiness posed by the nominations holds. The Secretary warned about “negative impacts” on military families and military retention. 
  • On April 25, 2023, Senator Warren delivered remarks and asked for 35 unanimous consent requests on the Senate floor, calling for the confirmation of 184 top-level military nominations blocked by Senator Tuberville and Republicans. 
  • On April 7, 2023, Senator Warren sent a letter asking Secretary Austin to detail the national security and military readiness impacts of Senator Tuberville’s blanket nominations hold.

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