"Nominee for Top Military Officer Warns of Talent Loss Due to GOP Senator's Promotions Blockade"

The nominee for the top military officer in the U.S., Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, warned that Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville's hold on military nominations could result in the loss of talent in the armed forces. Tuberville's hold is in protest of the Defense Department's policy on abortion-related travel expenses for service members. The hold has already led to the Marine Corps operating without a Senate-confirmed commandant for the first time in 164 years, and other positions on the Joint Chiefs of Staff could also be affected. The Pentagon estimates that the hold could impact 650 nominations by the end of the year. Democrats argue that holding individual votes on the nominations would be time-consuming, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accuses Tuberville of "risking military security."