US Senate approves 3 senior military leadership positions

With a vote of 95-1, the US Senate approved Admiral Lisa Franchetti as Commander of the Navy and General David Allvin as Chief of Staff of the Air Force, while Lieutenant General Christopher Mahoney was approved as Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps by a vote of 86-0. With this result, Ms. Franchetti became the first woman to command the US Navy and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

All three were nominated months ago, but their confirmations were delayed by Senator Tuberville’s opposition to government-funded abortion travel for service members and their dependents. Tuberville’s action affects hundreds of service members and their families. Pentagon leaders have warned that delays in confirming military personnel threaten U.S. national security.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, recognizing the constitutional right to abortion. The Pentagon then said it would pay for travel expenses for service members seeking abortions.

Democrats argued that Mr. Tuberville should demonstrate his opposition to a policy issue by targeting nominees related to that policy. However, Mr. Tuberville did not back down, stressing that Democrats could review each promotion on a case-by-case basis, but that the process could take months.

The US Senate is expected to continue approving a number of military personnel positions in the coming weeks. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Democratic Senator Jack Reed, has introduced a resolution to suspend the Senate's rule to allow simultaneous votes on multiple military personnel nominations, but only until the end of next year. This resolution is expected to be approved by the Senate in the coming weeks.