One Senator has been playing politics with our military and single handedly stalled 270 military promotions since February 2023. If you’re like us, this news is leaving you frustrated and outraged. So we’re taking action to make our voices heard.
This is precisely the kind of moment when our voices are needed most.
Our political leadership in Washington needs to understand how political grandstanding causes uncertainty for military families and directly threatens our national security.
Join with other military families and make your voice heard.
We call on Senate leadership to:
- Reiterate to Senator Tuberville the dangers and ramifications of his political grandstanding;
- Work together to resolve political and ideological disagreements outside the military space;
- Expeditiously confirm all blocked promotions and fill existing vacancies.
No matter your political beliefs, we must agree that service members and military families will not be used as political leverage. It’s time to end this political showmanship and recommit to respect the service and sacrifice of those who pledge to defend this nation. Join us by signing a petition to Senate leadership today.
July 24 Update
On Monday, July 24 SFI delivered the first batch of petition signatures. Watch Sarah’s introduction to our delivery. It’s not too late to sign! We will continue to electronically deliver the petition as we reach signature milestones. Please sign below and share the petition on social media if you agree that Tuberville’s blockade is inappropriate.
Text of the Petition Letter
Dear Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell,
As military spouses, family members and veterans, we are appalled by the continued hold on essential military business.
One Senator has single handedly blocked military promotions since February 2023! He has stopped the confirmation of at least 270 service members, inflicted direct harm to these service members and caused confusion and frustration for the entire military community. Indeed, the first time in more than 150 years, the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant position is vacant. This political grandstanding is causing uncertainty for military families and directly threatens our national security.
It is widely known that the military is facing challenges to recruitment and retention. Politicizing and disrupting promotions and employment packages, attacking diversity and inclusion programs, and blatant politicization of military service policies compounds this problem and sends a message to female servicemembers (who make up over 17% of our active duty force) and servicemembers of color (who make up 40% of the active duty force) that they are not welcome. Gen. Charles Brown, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force who has been nominated to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned Senators that continuing to delay confirmations could result in junior officers leaving the military rather than risk having their careers stalled and families harmed.
Let us be clear: Senator Tuberville is playing politics with our military. Senator Tuberville disagrees with the Department of Defense’s compensation package for active duty servicemembers and their families. As military families know all too well, service members and dependents do not choose where they live. This is why the DoD guarantees a health care package that provides paid time off and reimburses travel costs for comprehensive health services that a servicemember or dependent cannot access at certain duty stations. if a Senator disagrees with DoD health care policy, they should settle it through normal legislative or administrative channels. It is highly inappropriate and unpatriotic to wage a political battle by using military service members as pawns.
We call on Senate leadership to:
- Reiterate to Senator Tuberville the dangers and ramifications of his political grandstanding;
- Work together to resolve political and ideological disagreements outside the military space;
- Expeditiously confirm all blocked promotions and fill existing vacancies.
No matter your political beliefs, we must agree that service members and military families will not be used as political leverage. It’s time to end this political showmanship and recommit to respect the service and sacrifice of those who pledge to defend this nation.
