Tommy Tuberville military block/ Defense Secretary aide promotion/ Pentagon military promotions/ Tuberville Clark block/ U.S. Army Pacific commander delay/ Newslooks/ Washington/ Senator Tommy Tuberville is blocking the quick promotion of Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, a top aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, over concerns that Clark did not notify President Joe Biden when Austin was hospitalized earlier this year. Tuberville’s move comes amid ongoing GOP criticism regarding the delayed communication, despite a Pentagon review finding no lapses in national security. Tuberville is awaiting an Inspector General report on the matter.
Tuberville Blocks Promotion Over Austin’s Hospitalization: Quick Looks
- Blocked Nomination: Sen. Tommy Tuberville is halting the promotion of Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, who was nominated to command U.S. Army Pacific forces.
- Concerns Raised: Tuberville criticizes Clark for not immediately notifying President Biden about Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization during cancer treatment earlier this year.
- Republican Concerns: GOP members argue that the lack of notification could have impacted national security decisions, though Austin delegated duties to his deputy.
- Previous Holds: Tuberville was previously criticized for holding up military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion policy, eventually delaying hundreds of promotions.
- Pentagon’s Response: The Pentagon defends Clark’s qualifications and criticizes the hold as undermining military readiness.
Tuberville stalls promotion of Top Aide to Secretary Austin, cites health concerns
Deep Look:
Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville has once again put a military promotion on hold, this time targeting Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, a top military aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Tuberville’s decision stems from concerns that Clark, who was among Austin’s senior staff, did not notify President Joe Biden in time when Austin was hospitalized in January for complications related to cancer treatment. Tuberville’s hold effectively delays Clark’s nomination to become the commander of U.S. Army forces in the Pacific, despite bipartisan agreement on the severity of the issue.
Lt. Gen. Clark had been nominated by Biden in July to command U.S. Army forces in the Pacific, but Tuberville is insisting on a hold due to what he describes as a failure to maintain proper communication protocols during Austin’s health crisis. In January, Austin was hospitalized for complications following prostate cancer surgery, but the White House was only informed several days later, on January 4, despite Austin being admitted on New Year’s Day.
While decision-making authority had been properly transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Tuberville and other Republicans remain critical of the fact that Biden was left out of the loop for several days. Some have voiced concerns that this delay could have affected military operations or created uncertainty in decision-making processes.
“We cannot afford a breakdown in the chain of command, especially when the stakes are high,” Tuberville explained in a statement, expressing that even with the proper delegation of duties, Biden’s delayed notification was unacceptable. Hannah Eddins, a spokeswoman for Tuberville, added that the senator is awaiting the Pentagon’s Inspector General report for more details on the incident. “Lt. Gen. Clark’s role requires ensuring the president is immediately informed when command is compromised,” she said.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, has defended both Clark’s qualifications and the decision to keep Biden out of the loop during those early days, blaming privacy regulations and general hesitancy among staff for the delay. In response, Austin has apologized to Biden but maintained that national security was never at risk. “At no time was there a gap in leadership. Either I or the deputy secretary was always in position to perform the duties of the office,” Austin said after the incident. A Pentagon review has already resulted in new internal procedures to ensure timely communication moving forward.
This isn’t Tuberville’s first controversial hold on military promotions. Last year, he delayed hundreds of military appointments in response to the Pentagon’s abortion policy following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The abortion policy allowed service members to travel for abortion procedures if necessary. Tuberville argued the policy overstepped the Department of Defense’s mandate. Despite bipartisan pressure to drop the holds, Tuberville persisted, holding up more than 425 military promotions until the Senate eventually confirmed them in November after he relented. Republican colleagues agreed with Tuberville’s concerns on abortion but were concerned about the effect on military readiness and the impact on service members’ families.
In this latest case, Tuberville’s hold will likely delay Clark’s confirmation significantly. Though Senate Democrats could technically bring the nomination up for a vote, Tuberville’s hold will require several days of Senate floor time to process, a significant hurdle. If the nomination isn’t resolved by the end of the current Congressional session, Clark’s nomination would expire, leaving the decision to the next president, who could either re-nominate Clark or choose another candidate for the post.
The Pentagon has strongly criticized the latest block on Clark’s promotion. Pentagon spokesperson James Adams described the move as “undermining military readiness,” adding that Clark is a highly qualified candidate with critical strategic expertise necessary for commanding U.S. forces in the Pacific.
As part of the fallout from Austin’s hospitalization, the White House also issued new guidelines for Cabinet agencies to ensure that the president is informed in the event of any medical issues that prevent secretaries from performing their duties. These guidelines now include several directives on how to handle temporary transfers of authority to deputies when a Cabinet member is unavailable due to medical reasons, travel, or other issues.
In the meantime, Tuberville appears committed to his stance. “This is the hill to die on,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., as Tuberville continues to push for greater accountability regarding communication failures at the highest levels of government.
