NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024--Continued
Madam President. Madam President, I oppose the amendment because one of the fundamental aspects of the military is the ability of a senior officer to issue an order and the willingness of a subordinate to accept that order. What we are…
Madam President.
Madam President, I oppose the amendment because one of the fundamental aspects of the military is the ability of a senior officer to issue an order and the willingness of a subordinate to accept that order. What we are dealing with here are individuals, without appropriate justification, refusing to carry out a lawful order.
Now, the vaccination policies of the military are rather robust. I think there are more than a dozen required vaccinations, and someone who just cavalierly dismisses that requirement and then claims that they should not somehow be held accountable, I think is wrong. But this goes to the fabric of the military. You must obey lawful orders, and all of these were lawful orders.
Mandatory vaccination, again, is not a new, novel technique.
Another aspect of this is, this went right to the heart of readiness. We can all recall when an aircraft carrier in the Pacific had to be evacuated because of COVID aboard the ship, and the ship was actually out of commission for several months. That is a readiness issue that is pretty obvious.
There are procedures to be reinstated in the military. They have been in effect for many, many years. There is a board procedure. You can bring forth evidence that your dismissal was not appropriate, and that is being pursued now, I presume, by many people--or at least some.
So this would really, I think, basically signal that you don't have to obey legal orders from your commander if you are accepting popular notions about what is right and what is not right. And I think we should reject this amendment.
Vote on Amendment No. 421
Mr. President, I rise tonight to discuss once again the routine promotions of our military's general and flag officers.
During this Congress, due to the dangerous and extreme position of one Republican Senator, not a single general or flag officer has been confirmed--not one--all because that Senator disagrees with a policy that is designed to ensure safe and reasonable access for all servicemembers to reproductive healthcare regardless of where the military chooses to assign them.
Last week, the Defense Department's legal advisers and subject-matter experts came before the Armed Services Committee to brief us on the policy and to answer our Members' questions. They laid out clear, plain facts that explained the legality and appropriateness of the policy. As I stated publicly after the briefing concluded, no one with an ounce of intellectual honesty can deny that the Department's policy is legal and is, in fact, rooted in decades of precedent through administrations of both parties.
I respect my colleagues on the other side who feel strongly about this issue, but until Congress passes a law to overturn 40 years of legal precedence, the Department of Defense has a responsibility to manage the health, welfare, and readiness of the force within the legal authorities available to it.
The Department's legal experts also outlined in detail the long- existing statutory authorities that allow the Department to provide these travel and leave benefits. That is all they are, travel and leave policies--policies, I would note, that have been on the books in various fashions for decades.
Even Senator Ernst, the sponsor of a bill that would rescind the policy, recognized publicly after the briefing that the policy is legal. I will note my respect for Senator Ernst. Unlike most of her colleagues, she stayed to the end of the briefing and listened to everything the Department had to say and formed her opinion accordingly. Senator Ernst and I have very different views on this issue, but we share a common respect for our military women and men and an understanding of how Congress should treat them.
Our colleague from Alabama, however, has chosen to take a profoundly disrespectful approach. The nominations he is blocking have had no objections raised against them, and they have all been confirmed by unanimous approval in the committee, including by the Senator from Alabama. These are not controversial nominations.
For many decades, military promotions have been a bipartisan, routine piece of Senate business. Now they have been turned into a political sideshow by the Senator from Alabama. He is getting a lot of personal benefit out of this and I suppose a bit of fundraising success as well. To seek to profit in any way on the backs of servicemembers is, in my view, a disgrace.
To avoid accountability, the Senator likes to say that we should ``just vote'' on these nominations, but he knows this is a ludicrous idea. Let me explain it again. It is virtually impossible for the Senate to process this volume of nominations through floor procedures. As the majority leader and I have explained before, it would literally take the rest of this Congress to move through the nominations we have now, not even accounting for the hundreds still to come.
The Senator from Alabama knows this. So he does not really want to ``just vote''; he wants to grind the Senate to a halt on a series of nonstop 99-to-1 rollcall votes. That means no other Senate business, such as the annual Defense bill we are debating right now or the appropriations bills, which are being considered by the Appropriations Committee; no legislation of any kind, which may, in fact, be his motive.
The Senator from Alabama has moved his goalposts many times, never offering a viable or reasonable compromise. Originally, he just wanted a call from the Secretary of Defense. Once he got it, he changed his demand again. When he asked for a vote to repeal the policy, we did so during the National Defense Authorization Act markup, but of course he changed his demands again, and he is now calling for the complete capitulation of the Department. At this point, one has to wonder if he actually wants to achieve his demands or if he just wants to stay in the spotlight.
We will soon enter the seventh month of this nonsense, and the effects are building. This doesn't just affect the 273 officers stuck on the Senate floor; it affects thousands of military spouses and children, whom I will discuss in a moment, and it affects the officers coming up behind them, some of whom could be assigned but for the fact that an officer sits ahead of them, awaiting Senate confirmation before they can move.
According to the Department of Defense, 45 officers are unable to assume new positions, including 35 who cannot move because their assigned rank goes with the position for which they have been nominated and another 10 officers who are projected to be assigned to a position now held by one of those 35. Twenty-two officers who have been selected for their first star will have to assume the duties of the higher grade while serving as a field grade officer, not a flag officer. Those officers are losing about $2,600 per month through no fault of their own. Similarly, 20 officers selected to the grade of 0-8, or two stars, will assume duties of the higher grade while remaining in their current grade. These officers are losing nearly $2,000 per month while this blockade continues.
Contrary to the misinformation from the Senator from Alabama, there will absolutely be no back pay for these officers, no back pay at all. Their pay is tied to their rank, which is tied to their appointment to that rank, which cannot occur until the Senate provides its consent. While the Senator is trying to enhance his notoriety, these officers are losing pay.
Twenty-one three- and four-star officers have had their retirements deferred to ensure continuity of command. After 30 or 40 years of uniformed service, numerous combat deployments, countless missed birthdays and anniversaries, and countless missed sports games and musical recitals, these officers have been told that their lives are less important than one Senator's ego.
The most heartbreaking effects are on the families that have been impacted by these holds. I will describe just a few of these stories.
Because of the Senator from Alabama's hold, the Marine Corps was forced to cancel a coast-to-coast move for a general and his family. The family's household goods had already been shipped and are now waiting in storage at their future duty station while the general covers the duties of a three-star at a temporary station.
Two Air Force officers who sold their homes in anticipation of moves are living in temporary housing and paying their storage costs out of their own
pockets. They have no clarity about the length of time their nominations will remain on hold, as they are forced to continue their service in their current assignments to ensure continuity.
A naval officer awaiting orders for an overseas assignment has been caught in the Senator's hold. This officer's spouse was a teacher with a public school district in Virginia. Anticipating an overseas assignment with her spouse, this teacher ended her contract with her previous employer, but she has been unable to either accept a new contract at the overseas location or recommit to returning to the school district due to the uncertainty from the hold. She is stuck in limbo.
Two children of affected officers were disenrolled from their current schools due to an expected change-of-station move, but now they cannot enroll in a new school because the Senator from Alabama has blocked their move.
Three officers have chosen to move their families at their own expense, with no option to be reimbursed, to ensure that their children will be enrolled in school, in the hope that they will be reunited with their families after the Senator from Alabama has come to his senses.
Finally, yesterday, it was reported by the largest statewide news organization in Alabama that a petition signed by more than 550 military spouses was delivered to the Senator, calling on him to end his blockade and the harm it is doing to military families. The petition, organized by the Secure Families Initiative, called on Senate leadership to ``reiterate to Senator Tuberville the dangers and ramifications of this political grandstanding; work together to resolve political and ideological disagreements outside the military space; and expeditiously confirm all blocked promotions and fill existing vacancies.''
These are but a few of the tragic family costs being inflicted. These stories will increase significantly as we go into August, traditionally a month that many military families move to new duty stations and start new schools.
All of these effects are but the tip of the iceberg, snapshots and stories of those willing to share. The true impact of the Senator's actions may not be known for years. The destabilizing effect this has on the apolitical nature of military service is what keeps me up at night. The broader impact on our national security is incalculable.
In the U.S. military, there is a total of 852 general and flag officers. By the end of this year, we expect that 650 of them will need to pass through the Senate for promotion or reassignment. An additional 110 officers will be forced to perform two jobs simultaneously or will be assigned to a temporary position as a result of the Senator's holds. Thus, nearly 90 percent of our general and flag officers--our most senior military leaders--will be affected by the Senator from Alabama's holds.
Right now, our Nation faces an unparalleled threat from China, and violent, unstable Russia threatening all of our NATO allies. To not have our military leaders ready to command at a moment's notice is to flirt with disaster. The Senator from Alabama has achieved something that Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin can only have dreamed of. I am sure they would have paid good money to achieve it, but they don't have to.
What disappoints me the most is the silence from my colleagues across the aisle. For 6 months, they have hardly said a word about the Senator from Alabama's antics. Do they not care? I know many of them do, and many of them disagree with what he is doing. So why are they not down here right now? I call on my colleagues across the aisle who support our military and American families to stand with us to help repair this affront to Senate tradition.
Tonight, my colleagues and I will discuss every military nomination on the Executive Calendar. We will read the names of each officer whose nomination has been blocked by the Senator from Alabama, along with a little bit about their backgrounds. Each of these officers has served decades in uniform, something the Senator from Alabama knows nothing about.
Their lives have not been easy. I know firsthand that the nature of military life, even in the best of times, is difficult, punctuated with frequent moves, time away from family, and duties that are as demanding physically as they are mentally and spiritually.
This generation of general and flag officers has had it even harder than many. Most of these nominees have served the majority of their careers during a state of war. For 20 years, they fought in the Global War on Terror, and many of them fought in wars before that. They went where we asked them to go. They fought so other Americans--including most of us in this Chamber--wouldn't have to. We have never had a generation of military leadership whose entire professional development occurred during a period of constant conflict.
As I went through each of these officers' biographies, I was struck by the recognition and manifestation of their service. As you will hear, the Senator from Alabama is blocking the promotion of officers who have been awarded the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and every other significant award or recognition the Defense Department bestows.
He is blocking the promotion of officers with numerous combat tours of duty, including those who have been injured in combat.
He is blocking the nomination of a career Air Force officer who is an astronaut for NASA.
He is blocking the promotion of pilots who, collectively, have tens of thousands of flying hours and combat flying time. And with pilots, as we know all too well on the Armed Services Committee, they also have the option of flying commercially for the airlines. We can't compete with airlines on pay, but we have always competed on opportunity and mission. If opportunity and mission are compromised, patriotism will only carry one so far, particularly as the Senate's inaction is literally impacting the direct earnings of many of these nominees.
He is blocking the promotion of healthcare professionals who, like pilots, have lucrative private sector options that will look even more attractive as the thrill and satisfaction of a military career recedes.
He is blocking the promotions of combat commanders at all levels who have risen through the ranks with the expectation and hope of leading and mentoring the next generation of combat leaders to ensure the highest standards of military expertise and ethical conduct are passed on.
He is now blocking the confirmation of three members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Gen. C.Q. Brown, the nominee to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Eric Smith, the next Commandant of the Marine Corps; and GEN Randy George, the next Chief of Staff of the Army.
On top of this, we have just received a historic nomination, the first female officer to be the Chief of Naval Operations, and we just received today the nomination for the next Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
He is blocking the nominations of a critical combatant commander, the commander of Cyber Command, who also serves as the Director of the National Security Agency. It strikes me that cyber and intelligence is not a place the Nation should accept any additional risk.
He is blocking the nomination of the next commander of the Navy's 7th Fleet, the largest of the Navy's forward-deployed fleets and which has responsibilities in the Indo-Pacific area of operation.
He is blocking the nomination of the next commander of the Navy's 5th Fleet, responsible for the naval and combined maritime forces in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea, under the overall command of U.S. Central Command.
He is blocking the nomination of the next U.S. military representative to NATO, who is the senior uniformed representative to NATO, during a time when NATO continues to provide critical support to Ukraine in its war against Russia and as NATO itself is expanding to counter the threat posed by Russia to our European allies.
He is blocking the next Superintendent of the Naval Academy during the summer months, when new service academy Superintendents need to be installed to ensure continuity from one academic year to the next. Traditionally, the Senate ensures this nominee
is approved and in place in time for the next class of midshipmen to arrive and begin their Academy training, which started 4 weeks ago.
Now, even future officers who will be commissioned in 2027 are feeling the negative impact of one Senator's action. If we don't break this blockade soon, the Senator from Alabama will have tried his hand at decapitating the entire senior military leadership of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Finally, one last thing, none of the officers whose names we will read today played any part in promulgating the Department's policy with which the Senator from Alabama disagrees--a policy that, like it or not, is perfectly legal and is backed by 40 years of practice through the administrations of both parties. It is a policy aimed at taking care of our servicemembers, a large percentage of whom are women. This policy simply acknowledges that women's healthcare is important for military readiness too.
From President Reagan, whose Justice Department interpreted the newly enacted Hyde Amendment, through the first Bush administration, the Clinton administration, the second Bush administration, the Obama administration, the Trump administration, and now the Biden administration, the interpretation has been the same: This policy is legal.
Maybe my Republican colleagues were caught napping on this. Maybe they didn't bother to read the legal precedents. Maybe they didn't care to. Fine, I have no problem with my colleagues expressing disagreement with the Department's policy or pursuing legislative solutions to their problems. But do not take it out on the professional men and women of the Armed Forces and their families.
As the military spouses who petitioned the Senator from Alabama this week to lift his hold urged, we should engage and address these policy and ideological differences outside of the military space. We are debating the Defense bill right now. And as the majority leader has said publicly, we are not stopping the Republicans from voting on their bill to rescind DOD's policy. Let's have that vote.
Instead, the Senator has chosen to inflict as much financial and emotional pain as possible on the men and women of the Armed Forces in the hopes the Department will cave. If the Senator from Alabama actually cared about the military, he would find another way to demonstrate his political positions.
Release the hostages, Senator. It is time.
Mr. President, I want to commend the Senator from Virginia for his articulate and passionate and compelling comments this evening--and all of my colleagues. All of them have made the point that these holds have cascading effects.
It is not just the individual nominee; it is the person waiting to take his or her position. It is not just someone in uniform; it is a family. We are talking
about hundreds of people on the list for nominations. We are talking about thousands of people whose lives will be changed--extraordinarily changed.
The particular effects are on the family. No one serves in the military alone. Families serve. And when you see the disruption that is going to take place--young people not being able to get into schools, teachers who give up their teaching jobs and can't get another--those are real, real costs, in addition, obviously, to every day wondering whether that servicemember who is your spouse or your father will return, or whether mother will return, and, particularly, when they are committed overseas in areas of combat or confrontation.
Now, what Senator Tuberville has said is, ``Well, let's just vote on them.'' That is ridiculous. We know it would take months and months of exclusive voting on these nominations to clear this list, while another list is building up.
And also, there has been some suggestion that we simply--well, we have to get a Chief of Staff of the Marine Corps or the Commandant. Let's vote on a commandant.
But there is an ethic in the military: Leave no one behind.
We cannot turn our backs on the hundreds of relatively young professionals, those colonels who are being promoted to O-7. All of them contribute significantly to the protection of this country, to the stability of our Armed Forces, and they can't be ignored.
What I would like to do is to indicate who would be left behind, who at this point are being ignored--in fact, more than that. What I am going to call off is a roll of honor of men and women who serve and are being dishonored by Senator Tuberville's hold upon their nominations.
I am going to proceed in approximately chronological order from the nomination going forward.
The President nominated Col. Leigh A. Swanson to be brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force. She is a senior flight surgeon in the Air Force. Colonel Swanson has 29 years of service, amassing 545 flight hours and 55 combat flight hours. She carries her medical license in the State of Alabama.
Col. David J. Berkland is nominated to brigadier general of the U.S. Air Force. He is a command-rated pilot with over 3,400 flying hours, including 900 combat hours.
Col. Amy S. Bumgarner is in the U.S. Air Force and is nominated to brigadier general. She is currently serving as Vice Commander, Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Marine Corps Base Quantico. She has now served 28 years in uniform, spanning 17 different assignments, including in Afghanistan.
Col. Ivory D. Carter, nominated to brigadier general, is currently serving as Director, Legislative Liaison, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade. He began his Air Force career as an enlisted information manager in 1990. He has now served 33 years in uniform, spanning 15 different assignments.
Col. Raja Chari is nominated for brigadier general. He is currently serving as an astronaut with NASA. Yes, we are blocking someone who is going to be one of our astronauts.
Col. Jason E. Corrothers is nominated to brigadier general. He is a 1999 graduate of the Air Force Academy. He served 24 years in uniform, spanning 14 different assignments.
Col. John ``Bryan'' Creel is nominated to brigadier general. He amassed over 35 years of uniform service. He is now graded as a command pilot and has more than 7,500 flight hours. He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device, one of the most significant decorations that one could obtain in the Air Force.
Col. Nichols B. Evans has been nominated brigadier general. He is currently serving as Executive Assistant to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Col. Bridget V. Gigliotti has been nominated to brigadier general. She grew up in a Navy family and was commissioned in May 1997 upon graduation through the Air Force Academy. She has now served 26 years in uniform, spanning 19 different assignments.
Col. Chris B. ``Wolf'' Hammond is nominated to be brigadier general. Colonel Hammond is rated as a command pilot, amassing more than 3,000 flight hours, including 400 combat hours. He has now served 25 years in uniform, spanning 17 different assignments.
Col. Leslie F. Hauck. He is currently serving as Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, in Germany. He is rated a command pilot with over 2,400 hours in the F-16, including 285 combat hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He has also been deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Noble Eagle.
Colonel Kurt C. Helphinstine is nominated to brigadier general. He has over 2,700 flying hours in the F-15E, T-38, and T-37, and has 905 combat hours over Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
I think all of these gentlemen and ladies who have flown hundreds of hours in combat don't deserve to be disrespected as they are now and wonder if they will get promoted.
Col. Abraham L. Jackson, to be brigadier general, has 25 years in uniform as a career intelligence officer, spanning 15 different assignments.
Col. Benjamin R. Jonsson to be promoted as brigadier general. Colonel Jonsson was assigned to Charleston Air Force Base, where he flew some of the initial C-17A combat missions of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, from 2006 to 2008.
Colonel Jonsson and his family lived in Amman, Jordan, where he graduated from the University of Jordan as an Olmsted Scholar. He later served as the Desk Officer for Egypt and Jordan on the Joint Staff J-5 during the Arab Spring. He is a superbly qualified individual, both as an Air Force officer and as someone who knows a great deal about the Middle East.
Col. Joy M. Kaczor, nominated to brigadier general, is currently serving as Commander, White House Communications Agency, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
Col. Christopher J. Leonard, nominated to brigadier general. Colonel Leonard entered the Air Force in May 1997, after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has now served 26 years in uniform, serving in 23 different assignments, including numerous overseas postings.
Col. Christopher Menuey, to be brigadier general, is currently serving as Director of Commander's Action Group, Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
Col. David S. Miller, nominated to brigadier general, is currently serving as Vice Commander, Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
Col. Jeffrey A. Phillips to be nominated as brigadier general. Colonel Phillips received his commission via Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama in 1999, following 6 years of service as an enlisted airman. He has now served 30 years in uniform, 24 as an officer, spanning 20 different assignments.
Col. Erik M. Quigley to be brigadier general. Colonel Quigley was commissioned in 1997 as a distinguished graduate from Utah State University's ROTC Program. He has now served 26 years in uniform, spanning 17 different duty assignments, including a deployment to Afghanistan.
Col. Scott Rowe to be brigadier general. He has now served 25 years in uniform, spanning 14 different duty assignments, including as Commander, 12th Flying Training Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas; and Commander, 18th Operations Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan.
Col. Derek M. Salmi to be brigadier general. Colonel Salmi is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in flight and trainer aircraft. He has deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn.
Col. Kayle Stevens. Colonel Stevens is a graduate from Wellesley College and received her commission through ROTC at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a career intelligence officer.
Col. Jose E. Sumagil to be brigadier general. He is Chief, Air Force Senate Liaison Division. He has now served 26 years in uniform, spanning 18 different duty assignments. He is rated as a master navigator with more than 2,500 flight hours.
Col. Terence G. Taylor to be a brigadier general. Colonel Taylor attended the University of Virginia, where he served his commission through the Air Force ROTC. He is a command-rated pilot with more than 4,800 flying hours, including 1,800 combat hours.
Col. Daniel J. Voorhies. Colonel Voorhies attended the University of Virginia. He was commissioned through ROTC. He has now served 22 years in uniform, spanning 11 different duty assignments.
Col. Michael O. Walters to be promoted to brigadier general. Colonel Walters has combat experience in Operations Enduring Freedom, Freedom's Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve. He has amassed more than 2,600 flying hours, including 588 combat hours.
Col. Adrienne L. Williams is currently serving as Vice Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott Air Force Base. She has now served 23 years in uniform, spanning 16 different duty assignments.
The President also nominated Col. Corey A. Simmons to be brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force. He has now served 25 years in uniform, spanning 19 different duty assignments. He is a command pilot with more than 3,200 hours in airlift and trainer aircraft.
The President nominated Rear Admiral George M. Wikoff to be vice admiral in the U.S. Navy Central Command/Commander Fifth Fleet and Commander, Combined Maritime Forces. He has served 33 years in uniform, spanning 29 different duty assignments.
The President has nominated the following officers to brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve:
Col. Sean M. Carpenter. He has served nearly 18 years on Active Duty. He is a command-rated pilot with over 3,000 flying hours, including 325 combat hours, and over five combat deployments.
Col. Mary K. Haddad. Colonel Haddad has 13 years of Active Duty, spanning 13 different duty assignments, including numerous combat assignments.
Col. James L. Hartle to be brigadier general. He has served 23 years of Active-Duty service, spanning 21 different duty assignments, including a number of combat deployments.
Col. Aaron J. Heick. Colonel Heick has served 26 years in uniform, spanning 17 different duty assignments, including a deployment to Turkey.
Col. Joseph D. Janik to be brigadier general. Colonel Janik earned his commission via Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. He is a command-rated pilot with over 4,000 flight hours and 3,000 civilian flight hours.
Col. Michael T. McGinley to be brigadier general. He has now served 25 years in uniform, spanning 11 different assignments, including as Director of DIU, the Defense Innovation Unit.
Col. Kevin J. Merrill. Colonel Merrill is a command pilot with more than 3,700 hours in multiple aircraft. He was deployed on several occasions in support of Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.
Col. Tara E. Nolan to be brigadier general. She has served 28 years in uniform spanning 18 different duty assignments, including in support of numerous combat and contingency operations.
Col. Roderick C. Owens to be brigadier general. Colonel Owens has served 27 years in uniform spanning 15 different duty assignments.
Col. Mark D. Richey. Colonel Richey has 26 years of uniformed service. Colonel Richey is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours and 675 combat sorties.
Col. Norman B. Shaw, Jr., to be a brigadier general. He is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours.
The President has also nominated Col. Kristen A. Hillery to brigadier general. She has served 30 years in uniform spanning 14 different duty assignments, including Commander, 752nd Medical Squadron, March Air Force Base, CA.
Col. Michelle L. Wagner to be brigadier general. She has now served 26 years in uniform spanning nine different assignments, including two medical commands.
The President has also nominated the following officers to the grade of major general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve:
Brig. Gen. Elizabeth Arledge, who spent 6 years on Active Duty working with nuclear weapons, conventional munitions, and special operations aircraft before joining the Air Force Reserve in 1998.
Brig. Gen. Robert M. Blake has amassed more than 4,500 flying hours in military aircraft, including combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Brig. Gen. Vanessa J.E. Dornhoefer, who has 27 years of Active-Duty service spanning 16 different duty assignments.
Brig. Gen. Christopher A. Freeman. Brigadier General Freeman earned his commission from the Air Force ROTC Program at the University of Alabama in 1992 as a distinguished graduate. He has been awarded the Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit, and the Defense Distinguished Service Medal. He is being held in this blockade.
With that, I would like to yield to the Senator from Virginia.
I thank the Senator from Virginia, and let me continue the roll of officers.
Brig. Gen. David P. Garfield. He is a command pilot with 4,800 flying hours, including 506 combat hours. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Brig. Gen. Mitchell A. Hanson to become major general. Brigadier General Hanson has flown the A-10 and F-16 in a variety of operational assignments and is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours and over 200 combat hours.
General Jody A. Merritt. She has served 33 years in uniform, spanning 17 different duty assignments. She has been awarded the Legion of Merit and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
General Adrian K. White. He has 33 years of uniformed service, spanning 17 different duty assignments. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit and Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
General William W. Whittenberger, Jr. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 hours and has flown combat missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
General Christopher F. Yancy. His combat experience includes nine deployments in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch and Northern Watch; multiple operations in the former Yugoslavia; and Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Command in South Korea.
The President has nominated COL Carlos M. Caceres to be a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve. The colonel has served 31 years in uniform. He completed a 19-month deployment to Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star.
The President has nominated COL William F. Wilkerson to be a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve. He has 22 months deployed in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been awarded two Bronze Stars.
The President has nominated COL Evelyn E. Laptook to be a brigadier general. She has now served 30 years in uniform, including as Deputy Surgeon General, Office of the Surgeon General, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Chief of Intelligence/Assistant Chief of Staff J2, Kosovo Forces.
The President has nominated BG Ronald R. Ragin to be a major general in the U.S. Army. He has five separate deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been awarded four Legion of Merits and three Bronze Stars.
The President has nominated CAPT Walter D. Brafford and CAPT Robert J. Hawkins to be appointed to the grade of rear admiral. Captain Brafford has 27 years of service as a dental officer. Captain Hawkins has 26 years of service, primarily as a nurse anesthetist.
The following individuals have been nominated to rear admiral (lower half):
CAPT Amy N. Bauernschmidt. She is currently serving as Commanding Officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln. She has 29 years of service.
CAPT Michael Brent Devore, 28 years of service. He worked as Commanding Officer of the USS New York and Commanding Officer of USS Stethem.
CAPT Thomas Anthony Donovan, 27 years of service; Commanding Officer, Naval Special Warfare Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron TWO.
CAPT Frederic C. Goldhammer, 30 years of service; Commanding Officer, USS Ronald Reagan.
CAPT Ian Lake Johnson, 29 years of service; Commanding Officer, Naval Station Newport, RI; also awarded the Legion of Merit and Meritorious Service Medal.
CAPT Neil Andrew Koprowsky. He was the Commanding Officer of the USS Kearsarge and Commanding Officer of the USS San Antonio.
CAPT Paul Joseph Lanzilotta, currently serving as Commanding Officer of the USS Gerald R. Ford. His awards include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal.
CAPT Joshua Lasky, currently serving as Assistant Deputy Director for Global Operations, J39, Joint Staff, Washington, DC; 29 years of service.
CAPT Donald Wilson Marks, 28 years of service. He was the Commanding Officer of Naval Surface Group Western Pacific.
CAPT Craig Thomas Mattingly. He is currently serving as Senior Military Advisor, Office of the Secretary of the Navy; 29 years of service.
CAPT Andrew Thomas Miller, currently serving as Chief of Staff, U.S. Strategic Command Special Activities Atlantic; 29 years of service.
CAPT Lincoln Michael Reifsteck, serving as Branch Head, Commanders Action Group, Undersea Warfare Division, N97; 28 years of service.
CAPT Frank Alexander Rhodes IV, 28 years of service, was a Commander of Carrier Air Wing THREE. His awards include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal.
CAPT Thomas Edwin Schultz, currently serving as Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Navy; 29 years of service; and was Commanding Officer of the USS Green Bay.
CAPT Todd Edward Whalen, currently serving as Chief of Staff, Naval Surface Force Atlantic; 28 years of service.
CAPT Forrest Owen Young, 29 years of service and formerly Commander, Carrier Wing FIVE.
The President has nominated CAPT Frank G. Schlereth III to be rear admiral (lower half), U.S. Navy. He is currently serving as Division Chief/Executive Assistant to the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, and he is selected as Special Duty Officer with Foreign Expertise. He served as Naval Attache in Greece and the Assistant Naval Attache in Israel.
The President has nominated CAPT Brian J. Anderson and CAPT Julie M. Treanor for appointments to the grade of rear admiral (lower half).
Captain Anderson is currently serving as Assistant Commander, Supply Chain Policy and Management, Naval Supply Systems, and he has 28 years of service.
CAPT Julie Mary Treanor is currently serving as Chief of Staff, N41, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, with 29 years of service.
The President has nominated RDML Casey J. Moton and RDML Stephen R. Tedford for appointments to rear admiral in the U.S. Navy.
Admiral Moton is currently serving as Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants. He has 34 years of service.
Admiral Tedford is currently serving as Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons. He has 32 years of service.
The President has nominated RDML Rick Freedman to be a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. Admiral Freedman is currently serving as Director, Education and Training, Defense Health Agency; 32 years of service.
The President has nominated RDML Kenneth W. Epps to be a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. Admiral Epps is currently serving as Commander, Naval Supply Systems, Command Weapons Systems Support; 33 years of service.
The President has nominated the following officers to the grade of rear admiral in the Navy:
RDML Stephen Dennard Barnett, currently serving as Navy Region Hawaii Commander/Naval Surface Group MIDPAC; 32 years of service.
RDML Michael Wayne Baze, currently serving as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group THREE; 33 years of service.
RDML Richard Thomas Brophy, Jr., currently serving as Chief of Naval Air Training; 32 years of service.
RDML Joseph F. Cahill III, currently serving as Commander, Carrier Strike Group FIFTEEN; 31 years of service.
RDML Jeffrey John Czerewko, currently serving as Commander, Carrier Strike Group FOUR; 33 years of service.
RDML Brian Llewellyn Davies, currently serving as Submarine Group TWO Commander, assumed additional duties as Second Fleet Deputy Commander; 32 years of service.
RDML Michael Philip Donnelly, currently serving as Task Force SEVEN
ZERO Commander/Carrier Strike Group FIVE Commander; 34 years of service; formerly Commanding Officer of the USS Ronald Reagan.
RDML Daniel Pratt Martin, currently serving as Director of Maritime Operations, Task Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, 32 years of service.
RDML Richard Edward Seif, Jr., currently serving as Submarine Group SEVEN Commander/Task Force FIVE FOUR; 30 years of service.
RDML Paul Carl Spedero, Jr., currently serving as Carrier Strike Group EIGHT Commander, with 33 years of service.
RDML Derek Andrew Trinque, currently serving as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group SEVEN/Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet, with 31 years of service.
RDML Dennis Velez, currently serving as Commander, Carrier Strike Group TEN; 31 years of service.
RDML Darryl Leo Walker, currently serving as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force CYBER Tenth Fleet; 33 years of service.
RDML Jeromy Boone Williams, currently serving as Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific; 30 years of service.
The President has nominated the following officers to appointments to the grade of rear admiral (lower half), U.S. Navy:
CAPT Joshua Charles Himes, currently serving as Chief of Staff, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. Tenth Fleet; 30 years of service.
CAPT Kurtis Arthur Mole, currently serving as Information Warfare Commander, Carrier Strike Group FIVE; 28 years of service.
The following nominations to brigadier general:
COL Brandon C. Anderson, currently serving as Deputy Commander (Maneuver), 2nd Infantry Division (Combined), Eighth Army, Republic of Korea; 27 years of service.
COL Beth A. Behn, currently serving as Chief of Transportation and Commandant, U.S. Army Transportation School, Fort Lee, Virginia; 29 years of service.
COL Matthew W. Braman, 28 years of service, including Commander, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; awarded the Silver Star.
COL Kenneth J. Burgess, 26 years of service; awarded Legion of Merit and Bronze Star.
COL Thomas E. Burke, currently serving as Director of House Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, Washington, DC; 29 years of service.
COL Chad C. Chalfont, 28 years of service and awarded the Bronze Star.
COL Kendall J. Clarke, Commander, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Operation Enduring Freedom; Legion of Merit and Bronze Star.
COL Patrick M. Costello, 26 years of service; Commander, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Operation Enduring Freedom.
COL Rory A. Crooks, 29 years of service; Commander, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
COL Troy M. Denomy, 27 years of service; Commander, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; and awarded the Purple Heart.
COL Sara E. Dudley, Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
COL Joseph E. Escandon, Commander, U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command, Futures and Concepts Center. He has 27 years of service.
COL Alric L. Francis, Commander, Field Artillery Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
COL George C. Hackler, 29 years of service, was Director of Capabilities Development, Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan during Operation Resolute Support.
COL William C. Hannan, Jr. He was Chief, Office of Security Cooperation--Iraq, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, and was awarded the Bronze Star.
Col. Peter G. Hart, with 28 years of service. He was Director of the J-5, U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
COL Gregory L. Holden has 28 years of service. He served as the Director of the J-2 Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in Iraq.
COL Paul D. Howard is currently serving as the Commandant for the U.S. Army Signal School in Fort Gordon, GA.
COL James G. Kent was the Executive Officer to the Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command at the Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and he is being nominated for brigadier general.
COL Curtis W. King commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
COL John P. Lloyd is currently serving as Commander of the North Atlantic Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Brooklyn, NY.
With that, I yield to my colleague from Virginia.
Let me continue this role of honor to be promoted to brigadier general:
COL Shannon M. Lucas, 28 years of service, including Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Criminal Division at Quantico, VA; the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.
COL Landis C. Maddox, currently serving as Commander Joint Munitions and Lethality, Life Cycle Management Command. He was the executive officer of the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Material Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Bronze Star Medal.
COL Kareem P. Montague, currently serving as Deputy Commander 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO; 28 years of service. He commanded the 1st Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division; Legion of Merit, Bronze Star.
COL John P. Mountford, currently serving as Deputy Commander, Maneuver, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, KS, and Operation ATLANTIC RESOLVE in Poland; 28 years of service. He was awarded the Bronze Star.
Colonel Davis C. Phillips, currently serving as Program Manager of Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Program Executive Officer Aviation in the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama; 28 years of service; Defense Superior Service Medal and Bronze Star.
COL Kenneth N. Reed, currently serving as Commander, Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dallas, TX; awarded Legion of Merit and Bronze Star.
COL John W. Sannes, currently serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force--Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in Iraq. He was the Commander of Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan and OPERATION FREEDOM'S SENTINEL; Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.
COL Andrew O. Saslav, currently serving as Deputy Commander Operations, 82nd Airborne Division. He was the Commander 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division during OPERATION SPARTAN SHIELD in Kuwait; Legion of Merit and Bronze Star.
COL Charlone E. Stallworth, currently serving as Special Assistant for General/Flag Officer Matters, Joint Staff, Washington, DC; 29 years of service.
COL Jennifer S. Walkwawicz, currently serving as Director, Officer Personnel Management Director, U.S. Army Resources Command, Fort Knox, KY; Legion of Merit and Bronze Star holder.
COL Camilla A. White, currently serving as Chief of Staff, Office of Assistant Secretary of the Army; 29 years of service. She was Chief of Staff, Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technologies Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama; also Program Manager for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, Missile Defense Agency, Ground-based Midcourse Defense, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
COL Scott D. Wilkinson, currently serving as Deputy Commander, Support, 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, and Operation EUROPEAN ASSURE, DETER, AND REINFORCE in Poland; 29 years of service; Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star Medal.
COL Jeremy S. Wilson, currently serving as Deputy Commander Support, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA; multiple combat deployments; holder of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal.
COL Scott C. Woodward, currently serving as Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Combined Armed Center, Fort Leavenworth, KS; 29 years of service, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in Iraq, multiple combat deployments; Bronze Star Medal for Valor and the Legion of Merit.
COL Joseph W. Wortham, II, currently serving as Deputy Commander 1st Special Forces Command, Airborne, Fort Liberty, NC; 27 years of service. He was the Commander of 5th Special Forces Group, Airborne, U.S. Army, during OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE in Iraq.
COL David J. Zinn, currently serving as Commander of 3d Multi-Domain Task Force, U.S. Army Pacific, Schofield Barracks, HI. He was the Commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM; Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal.
The President has also nominated Maj. Gen. David R. Iverson to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Combined Air Component Command, United Nations Command; and Commander, Combined Air Component Command, Combined Forces Command; and Commander of the Seventh Air Force Pacific Air Forces.
Major General Iverson is a rated Command Pilot with 5,400 flying hours, including 1,500 combat hours. He is the holder of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and other awards.
The President has nominated Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Schneider to be a general in the U.S. Air Force and Commander of Pacific Air Forces and Air Component Command for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; 35 years of service; awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal.
The President has nominated Maj. Gen. Laura L. Lenderman to be a lieutenant general of the U.S. Air Force and Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces; 29 years of service; a rated Command Pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours; and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and other awards.
The President had nominated Maj. Gen. Thomas L. James to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army while serving as Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command. He holds advanced degrees in airpower art and science and military operational art and science from Air University, international relations from Auburn University Montgomery in Montgomery, AL, and strategic studies in the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force base in Alabama.
He serves in the aviation branch of the Army and has lived and served in Alabama multiple times, both at Fort Rucker and Maxwell Air Force Base. He deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Qatar in support of contingency operations for a total of 24 months.
The President has nominated MG Leonard F. Anderson IV to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Marine Corps while serving as Commander, Marine Forces Reserves, Commander, Marine Forces South.
Major General Anderson is nominated to serve as the Marine Corps' senior most Reserve officer. He would command and control assigned forces in order to assist and augment the Active Component with trained units and individual marines.
He has attended the TOPGUN Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor course. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit and other awards.
The President has nominated Lt. Gen. Timothy D. Haugh to the rank of general in the Air Force while serving as Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service/Commander, and Commander, U.S. Cyber Command.
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service leads the U.S.
Government in cryptology that encompasses both signals intelligence, insights, and cyber security products and services and enables computer network operations to gain a decisive advantage for the Nation and our allies.
Lieutenant General Haugh will be dual-hatted as Director, NSA, and Commander, CYBERCOM.
At this point, unless General Haugh is rapidly confirmed, we will have a gap at one of the most important organizations in the United States: Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.
The President has nominated LTG James J. Mingus to be a general in the U.S. Army while serving as the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
He earned his commission in 1985 after graduating from the Army ROTC Program at Winona State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree.
He commanded the 82nd Airborne Division and has deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan in combat roles, for a total of 38 months of contingency operations away from his family.
He is the recipient of the Purple Heart.
The President has nominated GEN Randy A. George to the rank of general while serving as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.
General George has commanded at the platoon, company, battalion, brigade, division, and corps levels. He has served in combat in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel. He has served a total of 57 months deployed in contingency operations away from his family.
He is the recipient of a Purple Heart.
The President has nominated Gen. Eric M. Smith, U.S. Marine Corps, to be General and Commandant of the Marine Corps. General Smith would be the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He is the first Acting Commandant in over 110 years.
He has led marines at every level, from platoon commander to Marine Expeditionary Force Commander.
He is also the recipient of the Purple Heart.
The President has nominated Gen. Charles Q. Brown to the rank of general while serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Brown currently serves as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. He is a career F-16 pilot, has flown more than 3,000 hours, including more than 130 combat flight hours.
His awards include two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, four Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.
Mr. President, those are the nominees before us. I think what we have demonstrated tonight is the range of assignments and organizations that are affected by these holds, spanning every service, every theater of operations, every sector of operations--from space to cyber, to submarines.
This is an undermining of our military readiness which is unseen before. These individuals deserve promotion. When the Presiding Officer heard Senator Kaine and I talk about their qualifications, there is no doubt they deserve promotion. And the men and women who serve beneath them--who will serve beneath them--deserve their leadership, which has been tested over time and in many cases--many cases--through combat. They should not be political pawns.
Now, before Senator Tuberville, we would be talking about our nominees. They are not nominees; they are hostages.
We can't tolerate that. That is a disservice to these men and women, to our Armed Forces, to the men and women they lead. We have to do our duty.
And as Senator Kaine said, there are appropriate ways to deal with policy decisions you don't like. You can take a vote. You can't hold all of these men and women, disrupt their family lives, send a signal to the military that: So what--29 years of service, a couple Purple Hearts; I don't care.
I would hope that Senator Tuberville would immediately lift these holds. And we can't do it in a piecemeal fashion. The depth, the range of the responsibilities we have talked about this evening can't be cured by: Oh, we will confirm the Commandant.
We can't leave anyone behind. And if this precedent continues and is established, it will be used again and again and again, to the detriment of the Nation.
This is the time for us to stand up--stand up for what we always say about our devotion to the military, our respect for the military; that they shouldn't be demeaned; they shouldn't be used as political tokens. It is time to stop the speeches on the Fourth of July and fill them unanimously, as we typically do, by voice on these matters.