Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is blocking the quick promotion of the top military aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over concerns that he and other senior staff did not immediately notify President Joe Biden when Austin was hospitalized with complications from cancer treatment earlier this year.
Biden in July nominated Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark to become commander of U.S. Army forces in the Pacific. But Clark has faced criticism from Republicans over his role as one of Austin's top aides when the defense secretary was in the hospital in January and did not tell Biden or other U.S. leaders.
Republicans said the fact that Biden was kept in the dark about Austin not being in command for days could have meant confusion or delays in military action, even though decision-making authorities had been transferred to the deputy defense secretary.
Tuberville's hold comes a year after he came under intense criticism from colleagues in both parties for holding up hundreds of military promotions over a Pentagon abortion policy. The Senate finally approved 425 military promotions and nominations in November after Tuberville relented.
Republican colleagues said they agreed with Tuberville on the abortion policy but openly pressured him to drop the holds , voicing concern about military readiness and the toll it was taking on service members and their families who had nothing to do with the regulations.
