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Floor Speech

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Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, we are in complex and dangerous times.

Ukraine is fighting off a Russian invasion. Israel is defending itself against Hamas. American soldiers have been attacked by Iran's proxies. China is watching closely and testing the United States and our allies. We need our military to be stronger and more focused than ever. However, because of one Senator, our military is being severely hamstrung.

The Senator from Alabama, Mr. Tuberville, has a policy disagreement with the Pentagon. However, instead of addressing this policy, he has decided to singlehandedly shut down what has historically been a bipartisan process to promptly confirm military nominees.

My Republican colleagues made this very clear last night. His decision isn't affecting just a handful of positions; he is currently blocking 367 admirals and generals, and that number continues to grow. That has left members of our Armed Forces stranded and unable to get the promotions they have earned. It has put their lives and the lives of their family members on hold.

Today, we will vote to confirm three of them: the Chief of Naval Operations, the Air Force Chief of Staff, and the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. They are the top officers in the Navy and the Air Force and the No. 2 officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Now, that may seem like progress, and the Senator from Alabama may say that this is an example of how the Senate can confirm military nominees one by one, but here is the thing: The new leaders of the Air Force and the Navy won't have anyone confirmed as their No. 2s. So they will have to do two of the highest ranking jobs in their services at the same time--their new jobs and their old jobs. That is because of Senator Tuberville. With hundreds of admirals and generals awaiting promotion because of his holds, it is impossible for the Senate to catch up by doing this one by one.

In the Marine Corps, the situation is even more serious. Over the weekend, we learned the terrible news that Gen. Eric Smith, confirmed just last month to lead the U.S. Marine Corps, suffered a medical emergency. General Smith was in the same position--forced to do two jobs at once. Today, we will confirm his deputy, who will have to immediately step up to be Acting Commandant of the Marine Corps for as long as General Smith is recovering.

It is an outrage that it takes an urgent vote of the U.S. Senate to fill a leadership gap at the top of the U.S. Marine Corps. That is the result of this blockade, and it is what we risk across our military leadership if, God forbid, another service chief has to step away from their job.

The Senator from Alabama doesn't think this does real damage to our military readiness. He either doesn't know what he is talking about or he doesn't care. At this very minute, the brave men and women of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are aboard the USS Bataan, the USS Carter Hall, and the USS Mesa Verde just south of Israel in the Red Sea. This is our quick reaction force, trained to evacuate civilians in conflict zones. Those marines are in a dangerous part of the world at a dangerous time, prepared to do a very dangerous job. They deserve fully staffed and focused senior leadership, able to advise the President while also giving the best guidance to their commanders. For 4 days this week, within arm's reach of a war, they didn't have it because of one Senator.

The solution is clear, and it has been clear since day one: The Senator from Alabama must remove his hold on our admirals and generals. We wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for him. He can stop this today if he wants to. If he continues to refuse, it is just too dangerous to wait for him to do the right thing. There is a proposal for the Senate to make a temporary change that will allow us to vote on the bulk of these nominees at once. It is designed to put our national security ahead of all else by addressing the dangerous circumstance these holds have put our military in.

Now, I have talked with many of my colleagues--Republicans and Democrats--about this fact, and I encourage everyone to give it serious thought. At what George Will called ``the most dangerous U.S. moment since World War II,'' the Senate must consider whether it will allow the U.S. military to be without hundreds of confirmed admirals and generals and to be just one illness or accident away from once again having a service branch without senior leadership because, to me, that is a pretty clear choice.

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