Senate confirms first female Navy chief, 2 others, plots to bust Tuberville blockade
Frustration is reaching a bipartisan boil as Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blanket hold on military promotion enters its ninth month


The Senate on Thursday worked around Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-Ala.) blanket blockade of high-level military promotions to confirm three top officers, including the first woman elevated to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Bipartisan frustration is publicly surfacing over Tuberville's monthslong hold, which is leaving another 376 admirals and generals in the lurch and key military positions vacant.
"We are going to look back at this episode and just be stunned at what a national-security suicide mission this became," Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said Wednesday night, during an extraordinary public rebuke of Tuberville by five Republican colleagues.
Adm. Lisa Franchetti was confirmed as Navy chief of staff and Gen. David Allvin was elevated to head of the Air Force in 95-1 votes. The Senate also confirmed Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney, 85-0, as the No. 2 Marine Corps officer, under Commandant Gen. Eric Smith, currently hospitalized after suffering apparent cardiac arrest on Sunday. The promotion of Franchetti and Allvin gives the Joint Chiefs its first full slate of Senate-confirmed officers since July.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Wednesday night's public pillorying from his own party "was brutal for the senator from Alabama," but "it was a relatively small number of Tuberville's GOP colleagues taking this stand," Aaron Blake wrote at The Washington Post. Republicans probably need to up the pressure more broadly — or help Democrats sidestep Tuberville and promote most or all of the remaining military officers in one bloc.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) are spearheading a motion to temporarily suspend Senate rules for this narrow group of military officers, but it needs 60 votes to pass, meaning at least nine Republicans would need to sign on. Lots of Senate Republicans agree Tuberville's hold needs to end, but it's unclear if nine will back the Democrats' motion. Republicans agreed Thursday to hold a special conference next week to specifically discuss the Tuberville situation, Punchbowl News reported.
Tuberville's staff is clearly "worried that at least nine Republicans might join with Democrats" to pass the resolution, because his communications director emailed anti-abortion groups urging them to primary any Republican "squishes" who vote for the measure, Politico reported. Tuberville said he had no part in the email, and no plans to lift the hold. "I've been doing this for nine months and all of a sudden they're mad?" he told the Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
What to know before turning to AI for financial advice
the explainer It can help you crunch the numbers — but it might also pocket your data
-
Book reviews: 'The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction—and a Search for Relief' and 'Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run'
Feature The search for a headache cure and revisiting Springsteen's 'Born to Run' album on its 50th anniversary
-
Keith McNally' 6 favorite books that have ambitious characters
Feature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Red states join in Trump's D.C. crackdown
Feature 1,200 troops arrive in Washington D.C. from six red states
-
What's a pocket rescission and can Trump use one?
The Explainer The White House may try to use an obscure and prohibited trick to halt more spending
-
Recreation or addiction? Military base slot machines rake in millions.
Under the Radar There are several thousand slot machines on military bases
-
The Pentagon's missing missiles
Feature The U.S. military is low on weapons. Can it restock before a major conflict breaks out?
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
'No one should be surprised by this cynical strategy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
Is Trump sidelining Congress' war powers?
Today's Big Question The Iran attack renews a long-running debate