On Monday, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger officially retired as he had long planned, but there was no officer to replace him, leaving Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith as the Marines’ acting commander.
Such a situation has not occurred in the USMC for 164 years, since then-Commandant Gen. Archibald Henderson died in 1859 without an appointed successor. This time, however, it wasn’t an act of God, but an act of man, that left the Corps’ top office vacant.
In fact, Tuberville is not blocking confirmation votes from happening, he is withholding his vote and denying the Senate the unanimous approval of such high-level offices, which is used to project an image of political unity in the national defense.
The “hold” has stalled the appointment of nearly a dozen officers so far, including a new Marine Corps commandant. In a June opinion piece published last month, Tuberville pushed back on accusations that his blockade was affecting military readiness, arguing that “the current military is top-heavy as never before … We do not suffer from a lack of generals.”
The policy in question was announced and instituted less than a year ago, after the US Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion and more than two dozen Republican-controlled states passed laws either banning or severely restricting access to the procedure. The White House, under the control of Democratic US President Joe Biden, objected to the ruling and the Pentagon moved to ensure that service members continued to have abortion access, within the boundaries of their legal power.
The White House and leading congressional Democrats have denounced Tuberville’s “block,” and even many Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), have said they disagree with the Alabama senator’s tactics.
“I don’t support putting a hold on military nominations,” McConnell told reporters recently.
In the coming months, other key military positions will also need to be filled, including the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The present chair, Gen. Mark A. Milley, is set to retire in September after four years in the role.