(RepublicanDaily.org) – Senate Republicans and Democrats alike are up in arms after Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville’s block on President Joe Biden’s military promotions have apparently caused some confusion and complications among the military’s ranks.
Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham slammed Tuberville’s actions as “doing great damage to our military,” amid news that General Eric M. Smith, who was only very recently confirmed as Marine Corps commandant, suffered a heart attack. Smith’s heart attack has been blamed on the additional workload brought on by Tuberville’s tactics – which have held up the appointment of several hundreds of military promotions.
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, pointing to Smith’s heart attack, called Tuberville’s actions “dangerous.” Following news of Smith’s condition, the Senate unanimously approved the promotion of Marine Lieutenant General Christopher Mahoney as assistant commandant for the Marine Corps.
Tuberville initiated his blockade in protest of Pentagon’s abortion travel policy, which allows service members to receive reimbursements for travel expenses related to getting an abortion. Service members are also granted up to 21 days of leave for purposes of getting abortion or fertility treatments.
Other Republican senators, who are also opposed to abortion, were largely mum on Tuberville’s tactics, despite the fact that his actions are unprecdented. However, General Smith’s hospitalization was apparently the trigger Senate Republicans needed to start calling out Tuberville, who, in a very recent session to promote military leaders, objected repeatedly – 61 times, to be exact – to confirmations endorsed even by fellow members of the GOP.
Republican Iowa Senator Joni Ernst said that Tuberville was not “a man of his word.” Republican Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, who also serves in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel, called Tuberville’s antics “ridiculous” and “dumb.” Many Republican senators have since confronted the Alabama senator over his actions, recognizing that given the current circumstances, the U.S. military needs to be in tip-top shape instead of being unnecessarily hobbled by the block on promotions.
Tuberville has since responded to the criticisms, in which he compared the situation to his time as a football coach in years past.
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