Schumer Initiates Cloture Process for Military Nominations

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday filed cloture to advance the nominations of three senior military officials.

The move comes amid Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blocking of more than 300 military nominations due to the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy.

In February Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced his department would pay for the travel and accommodation for troops and their families to get abortions if they were based in a state that no longer allows the procedure.

Cloture requires a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster.

Schumer filed cloture on the nominations for chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army Chief of Staff, and the commandant of the Marine Corp.

“Sen. Tuberville is forcing us to confront his obstruction head on,” Schumer said.

Air Force Gen. Charles Brown Jr. was nominated by President Joe Biden to succeed Army Gen. Mark A. Milley as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gen. Randy George, the Army vice chief of staff since August, has been nominated to be the branch’s top officer.

Gen. Eric Smith is Biden’s choice to lead the Marines.

Schumer accused Tuberville of abusing his Senate privilege to hold up nominations and of disrupting the lives of military families, warning that “this is not a sustainable path.”

Schumer warned colleagues to expect votes through the weekend on the nominations, saying, “While we Democrats did not choose this fight, we are ready to end this sooner rather than later.”