Senate Democrats Make Push to Bypass Blockade on Military Promotions
A group of Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, is taking action to overcome Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade on military promotions. The Democrats are seeking to implement a temporary process change that would allow the Senate to vote on all nominees at once, bypassing the individual consideration of each appointment.
This resolution, if passed, will be in effect until the end of next year, with exceptions for members of the joint chiefs and combatant commanders. The move comes as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urges a vote on three of President Joe Biden’s nominees, including Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney, whose appointment is considered “urgent” following a recent medical emergency involving Marine Corps commandant Gen. Eric Smith.
However, for this resolution to become a reality, it needs to go through the Senate Rules Committee and gain the support of at least 60 senators on the Senate floor. So far, no Senate Republicans have publicly supported the move, making it a challenging task for the Democrats.
Interestingly, Republicans attempted to unanimously approve a group of high-level military promotions, echoing past attempts made by Senate Democrats. However, Sen. Tuberville objected to this tactic, leading to a significant slowdown in the process.
Democrats argue that the customary process of approving promotions one-by-one is untenable and time-consuming. They believe that considering the nominations in batches would streamline the process and allow for a more efficient confirmation of military appointments.
While the debate continues, it remains uncertain whether the Democrats’ resolution will gain enough support to pass. Only time will tell whether this temporary process change will be implemented, allowing for a smoother and expedited confirmation of military promotions. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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