WATCH: Sen. Kelly Condemns Reckless Military Promotion Blockade in Speech on Senate Floor

Last night, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly delivered a powerful speech on the Senate floor, in which he condemned Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) reckless blockade of the promotions of hundreds of high-ranking military personnel. During his speech, Kelly, a 25-year Navy veteran, illustrated how the blockade is damaging our national security and harming military families.  

“Placing holds on hundreds of military promotions over a single policy disagreement is unconscionable. It’s harming our national security, and is going to have cascading effects for years,” said Sen. Kelly during his remarks.     

“Let’s not forget, these holds are preventing the promotions of military leaders in Alabama. There are a lot of really important units who operate out of the Redstone Arsenal, including the Missile Defense Agency, which is responsible for developing U.S. Defense against incoming ballistic missiles. The Missile Defense Agency’s next director is one of those officers at Redstone waiting for his third star before he can officially assume this new role. The Senator from Alabama’s hold is preventing that. Do we really want a leadership gap in missile defense of the U.S.?” Kelly continued. 

“The President of the United States nominated Major General Tony Hale to be a lieutenant general. I know Major General Hale. He’s [served] as the Commanding General of Fort Huachuca in my state of Arizona. He has spent 29 years in uniform. He’s been in 18 different duty assignments — six in support of combat operations — and the senator from Alabama is treating Major General Tony Hale as his political pawn. Mr. President, I’ve been here for two and a half years; there is not something I felt more strongly about than this. And I don’t think the senator from Alabama gets it,” Kelly later said.  

Click here to watch Sen. Kelly’s remarks. Click here to download the video file.

Sen. Kelly condemns Sen. Tuberville’s military promotion blockade on the Senate floor