The Pentagon has warned that the deadlock over top commander appointments may jeopardize the combat readiness of American troops as the leadership void in the US Army and Marine Corps widens due to a political dispute in President Joe Biden’s administration.
The US Army and Marine Corps were without a top leader for the first time in US history as a result of the months-long congressional dispute over hundreds of military promotions and nominations, prompting the Pentagon to issue an alert.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that the US Senate’s refusal to confirm military nominees for more than 300 open officer positions, including chiefs for the nation’s two ground combat forces, is disruptive and could harm relations with allies.
Austin claimed that the deadlock might jeopardize efforts to enlist new soldiers and make sure they are prepared to defend the country.
The Pentagon chief announced during a speech at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia.
“Today, for the first time in the history of the Department of Defense, two of our services will be operating without Senate-confirmed leadership,” he said.
“Our confirmed military leaders must transition in a timely and orderly manner in our dangerous world,” he continued.
Since General David Berger’s four-year tenure as commandant ended on July 10, the US Marine Corps has been without a top commander. For the branch, the void represented the first such leadership gap in 164 years.
General James McConville’s resignation as chief of staff on Friday left the US Army with the same leadership void.
In an argument over the Pentagon’s new abortion benefits for service members and their dependents, Republican senator from Alabama Tommy Tuberville has blocked approvals for the appointments.
The deadlock resulted from the US Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, a 1973 legal decision that had defended abortion as a constitutional right, last year. Numerous Republican-led states were now able to enact new abortion restrictions as a result of the decision’s reverse.
In response, the Pentagon issued an order in February directing all branches of the US military to provide special benefits, such as three weeks of paid leave and full reimbursement for expenses, to troops and family members who travel to states that permit abortions to end pregnancies.
Tuberville has vowed to keep the hold in place until the Pentagon changes its policy or Congress makes it a legal requirement by using a procedural maneuver called a hold to prevent confirmation.
The Republican senator has demanded that the Democratic-controlled Senate hold a vote on the abortion policy, claiming that his more than six-month-long hold is “NOT affecting national security.”.
Additionally, Biden referred to Tuberville’s blocking of nominations as “irresponsible” and claimed it put US security at risk.
Due to the lengthy process and concern that it would encourage other senators to use Tuberville’s strategy in the future, the US Democratic Senate leadership has refrained from scheduling individual roll call votes.
Democrats could only hold a roll call vote in September even if they were inclined to do so because the Senate is currently on summer recess.
