Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has unilaterally blocked the promotion of Lt. Gen. Ronald P. Clark to become a 4-star General and overall Army commander for U.S. forces in the Pacific. Clark is a top aide to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The single senator-objection filibuster by Tuberville is reminiscent of his blockade of all military promotions last year as a protest of the Defense Department policy to pay for reproductive healthcare for service members and their families. That blockade put U.S. military readiness at severe risk, and led Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro to accuse Tuberville of aiding enemies of the United States.
Tuberville cites Clark’s knowledge of Austin’s surgery to treat prostate cancer in December, which left him incapacitated, as the reason behind the filibuster. Several Senators have expressed concern that Austin did not inform the President about the break in the chain of command.
“I want to be crystal clear: We did not handle this right. I did not handle this right,” Austin said when the story became public. “I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility.”
Tuberville’s block of Clark’s promotion directly affects readiness of U.S. forces in the Pacific, and could harm the defense of Taiwan against potential Chinese aggression, the Pentagon said in a statement.
“Lt. Gen. Clark is highly qualified and was nominated for this critical position because of his experience and strategic expertise,” the statement said. “We urge the Senate to confirm all of our qualified nominees. These holds undermine our military readiness.”
