After gathering more than a thousand “Stop Playing Politics with the Military” petition signatures, and directing hundreds of calls to Alabama and DC offices, it is clear that Secure Families Initiative-organized advocacy toward Senator Tuberville is working. Our community knows — and the Senator has now heard — that using military nominees and their families as pawns in a political game is wrong and needs to end.
Our military families appreciate any time the Senate does its job and votes to confirm nominees; however, we do not want a system in which any single Senator — no matter their party — can pick and choose which nominee is or is not worthy of a vote. So while we welcome yesterday’s confirmation vote on a qualified nominee to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it unfortunately has not changed the damage done by Senator Tuberville’s stunt. What has traditionally been an apolitical process for confirming military promotions is still stuck in a partisan game.
As is military tradition, we commit to the ethos of “No one left behind.” Military families will not stop advocating for an end to this promotion blockade until all the nominees are confirmed.
We continue to urge Senator Tuberville to end his inappropriate and unpatriotic protest and allow unanimous consent on all nominees. This will enable military leaders to get back to work and focus on the mission of defending our country — and of course, it will also allow Members of Congress to focus on passing a defense budget to fund that work!
Background
In July, Secure Families Initiative delivered a petition titled “Stop Playing Politics with the Military” signed by military family members to Senator Tuberville, Leader Schumer, and Leader McConnell. Petition signers have doubled since delivery, and there are now 1100 signatories.
When the Senate returned from recess this month, Secure Families Initiative mobilized military family members to take action at the state and federal level to continue to urge Senator Tuberville to end his political protest.