Tuberville's blocking of military promotions leaves Marine Corps without confirmed leader


For the first time since 1910, the United States Marine Corps does not have a Senate-confirmed leader.
Since December, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has been blocking senior military nominations because he is angry over the Pentagon policy that covers the travel costs for service members seeking abortions while serving in states where the procedure is banned. Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant of the Marine Corps on Monday, and without a permanent successor in place, Gen. Eric Smith will serve as acting commandant.
During the relinquishment of command ceremony on Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said there is "a sacred duty to do right by those who volunteer to wear the cloth of our nation," and "everyone here is looking forward to the rapid confirmation of a distinguished successor to Gen. Berger." Berger agreed, saying, "I'm with you, Mr. Secretary. We need the Senate to do their job so that we can have a sitting commandant that's appointed and confirmed."
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.
Tuberville defended his actions, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Monday that with Republicans in the minority in the Senate, "the only power we have is to put a hold on something." In May, seven former defense secretaries wrote a letter saying the hold is "harming military readiness and risks damaging U.S. national security." Collins asked Tuberville if he knows better than those former officials. "They were nominated, they weren't elected," he responded. "I was elected to represent the people of Alabama in this country."
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday that "hundreds of well-qualified military leaders are now being held up by Sen. Tuberville," and because of the delays, the Defense Department is requesting some officers hold off on retiring. Others have been asked to take on more senior duties, but since they cannot officially be promoted until they are confirmed by the Senate, they haven't received pay increases.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
France and Indonesia promote a contentious bid for an Israel-Palestine two-state solution
Talking Points Both countries have said a two-state solution is the way to end the Middle East conflict
-
Film reviews: Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, Lilo & Stitch, and Final Destination: Bloodlines
Feature Tom Cruise risks life and limb to entertain us, a young girl befriends a destructive alien, and death stalks a family that resets fate's toll.
-
Music reviews: Morgan Wallen and Kali Uchis
Feature "I'm the Problem" and "Sincerely"
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges
-
Germany lifts Kyiv missile limits as Trump, Putin spar
speed read Russia's biggest drone and missile attacks of the war prompted Trump to post that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!'
-
Tied Supreme Court blocks church charter school
speed read The court upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to bar overtly religious public charter schools
-
GOP megabill would limit judicial oversight of Trump
speed read The domestic policy bill Republicans pushed through the House would protect the Trump administration from the consequences of violating court orders
-
Judge scolds DOJ over Newark mayor arrest
speed read Ras Baraka was arrested during a May 9 surprise visit to a migrant detention facility
-
Trump lectures South Africa president on 'white genocide'
speed read Trump has cut off aid to South Africa over his demonstrably false genocide claims
-
Trump twists House GOP arms on megabill
speed read The bill will provide a $350 billion boost to military and anti-immigration spending and 'cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs'