WATCH: Sen. Kelly Urges Colleagues to Take a Stand Against Tuberville’s Dangerous Military Promotion Blockade in Senate Floor Speech

Today, Arizona Senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly highlighted the ongoing consequences of Sen. Tuberville’s reckless military promotion blockade and called on Republican and Democratic senators to consider a proposal that will allow the Senate to vote on nominations en bloc.   

Currently, the senator from Alabama is holding up the confirmation of 367 Admirals and Generals that have already been vetted and reported out by the Senate Armed Services Committee.  

“Over the weekend, we learned the terrible news that General Eric Smith, confirmed just last month to lead the U.S. Marine Corps, suffered a medical emergency. General Smith was in the same position, forced to do two jobs at once.” Kelly said. “Today we will confirm his deputy, who will have to immediately step up to be the acting Commandant of the Marine Corps for as long as General Smith is recovering. It’s an outrage that it takes an urgent vote of the U.S. Senate to fill a leadership gap at the top of the U.S. Marine Corps. That’s the result of this blockade. And it’s what we risk across our military leadership if, God forbid, another service chief has to step away from their job.”    

Speaking about Tuberville, Kelly continued, “If he continues to refuse, it’s just too dangerous to wait for him to do the right thing. There is a proposal for the Senate to make a temporary change that will allow us to vote on the bulk of these nominees at once. It’s designed to put our national security ahead of all else by addressing the dangerous circumstance these holds have put our military in. I’ve talked with many of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat about this fact, and I encourage everyone to give it serious thought.”    

Click here to download Sen. Kelly’s remarks. See below for a complete transcript: 
 

Mr. President,  

We are in complex and dangerous times. Ukraine is fighting off a Russian invasion. Israel is defending itself against Hamas. American soldiers have been attacked by Iran’s proxies. China is watching closely and testing the United States and our allies. 

We need our military to be stronger and more focused than ever. 

However, because of one senator, our military is being severely hamstrung. 

The senator from Alabama, Mr. Tuberville, has a policy disagreement with the Pentagon. However, instead of addressing this policy, he decided to single-handedly shutdown what has historically been a bipartisan process to promptly confirm military nominees. 

Our Republican colleagues made this very clear last night. 

His decision isn’t affecting just a handful of positions – he is currently blocking 367 Admirals and Generals. And that number continues to grow. 

That’s left members of our armed forces stranded, unable to get the promotions they’ve earned. It has put their lives and the lives of their family members on hold. 

Today, we will vote to confirm three of them: the Chief of Naval Operations, Air Force Chief of Staff, and the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.  

That’s the top officers in the Navy and the Air Force, and the number two in the United States Marine Corps. 

That may seem like progress. The Senator from Alabama may say that this is an example of how the Senate can confirm military nominees one by one. 

But here’s the thing: the new leaders of the Air Force and Navy won’t have anyone confirmed as their number two.  

So, they will still have to do two of the highest ranked jobs in their service at the same time: their new job and their old jobs. 

That’s because of Senator Tuberville. With hundreds of Admirals and Generals awaiting promotion because of his holds, it’s impossible for the Senate to catch up doing this ‘one by one.’  

In the Marine Corps, the situation is even more serious.  

Over the weekend, we learned the terrible news that General Eric Smith, confirmed just last month to lead the U.S. Marine Corps, suffered a medical emergency. 

General Smith was in the same position, forced to do two jobs at once. 

Today we will confirm his deputy, who will have to immediately step up to be the acting Commandant of the Marine Corps for as long as General Smith is recovering. 

It’s an outrage that it takes an urgent vote of the U.S. Senate to fill a leadership gap at the top of the U.S. Marine Corps.  

That’s the result of this blockade. And it’s what we risk across our military leadership if, God forbid, another service chief has to step away from their job.   

The Senator from Alabama doesn’t think this does real damage to our military readiness. He either doesn’t know what he’s talking about, or he doesn’t care.  

At this very minute, the brave men and women of the 26^th Marine Expeditionary Unit are aboard the USS Bataan, the USS Carter Hall, and the USS Mesa Verde, just south of Israel in the Red Sea. 

This is our quick reaction force, trained to evacuate civilians in conflict zones. 

Those Marines are in a dangerous part of the world at a dangerous time, prepared to do a very dangerous job. They deserve fully staffed and focused senior leadership, able to advise the President while also giving the best guidance to their commanders. For four days this week, within arms’ reach of a war, they didn’t have it because of one senator. 

The solution is clear, and it’s been clear since day one: the Senator from Alabama must remove his hold on our admirals and generals.  

We wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for him. And he can stop this today if he wants to. 

If he continues to refuse, it’s just too dangerous to wait for him to do the right thing. 

There is a proposal for the Senate to make a temporary change that will allow us to vote on the bulk of these nominees at once. 

It’s designed to put our national security ahead of all else by addressing the dangerous circumstance these holds have put our military in. 

I’ve talked with many of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat about this fact, and I encourage everyone to give it serious thought.  

At what George Will called “the most dangerous U.S. moment since World War II,” the Senate must consider whether it will allow the U.S. military to be without hundreds of confirmed Admirals and Generals.   

And to be just one illness or accident away from once again having a service branch without senior leadership. 

Because to me, Mr. President, that is a pretty clear choice. 

Thank you.