Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Wednesday is expected to advance President Biden’s nominee to serve as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps after insisting for months that he wouldn’t schedule individual votes for military positions over Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blanket hold on promotions.
Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, also filed cloture motions on Adm. Lisa Franchetti for chief of naval operations and Gen. David Allin for Air Force chief of staff.
The last-minute move by Mr. Schumer came Tuesday after Mr. Tuberville, a Republican, obtained 16 signatures needed for his own cloture petition for Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to serve as the Marine Corps assistant commandant.
“Lt. Gen. Mahoney’s confirmation is urgent in light of the frightening news that Gen. Eric Smith, confirmed last month to lead the U.S. Marine Corps, was hospitalized Sunday after a serious medical emergency,” Mr. Schumer said Tuesday from the Senate floor after filing cloture, a legislative procedure for ending debate and taking a vote.
“This scary incident involving Gen. Smith shows why it’s supremely risky to play politics with military appointments, as Sen. Tuberville is doing,” Mr. Schumer said. “The situation at the Marine Corps is precisely the kind of avoidable emergency that Sen. Tuberville has provoked through his blanket holds.”
Gen. Smith was hospitalized Sunday night after suffering an apparent heart attack. The Marine Corps has not provided additional details about his condition or where he is being treated. Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, deputy commandant for combat development and integration, is temporarily performing the duties of Marine commandant, the service said in a statement.
Mr. Tuberville dismissed allegations that his holds on senior-level promotions in the Defense Department played any role in Gen. Smith’s medical emergency.
“They’re really looking for something to blame it on other than themselves. They could have had all these people confirmed if they had just gone with the Constitution,” he told reporters Wednesday on Capitol Hill. “They’re just looking for any possible way to get themselves out of a jam.”
Since February, Mr. Tuberville has imposed a hold on promotions for about 300 generals and admirals over the Defense Department’s generous policy that funds travel and expenses for service members who go to other states for abortions.
Mr. Tuberville “has repeatedly said that Schumer can bring these nominations to the floor or get the Pentagon to reverse their illegal policy,” his office said in a statement.
GOP Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate minority whip, said there is a “high level of interest” in breaking the logjam and finding a solution to the disagreement. He noted that some organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars have called on Mr. Tuberville to lift his hold.
Mr. Thune agreed that Gen. Smith’s medical emergency has added urgency to the debate over the promotion holds.
“It creates more of a sense that something needs to happen,” the senator said.
— Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.