You Thought a Heart Attack Might Make Tommy Tuberville Drop Holds? Think Again.
The Marine Corps’s chief officer has been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack, leaving the military branch scrambling to fill gaps in leadership caused by Senator Tommy Tuberville’s block on military promotions. And no, the Republican senator won’t let up.General Eric Smith collapsed while jogging Sunday and has been hospitalized, The New York Times reported. The Marines announced the following day that Lieutenant General Karsten Heckl would serve as acting commandant while Smith is out of commission.The Marines then corrected their own announcement, saying that Heckl would only be “performing the duties” of commandant.Part of the reason for the confusion is that Tuberville’s blockade on military promotions has prevented the Marines—and all branches of the military—from filling many leadership positions. Smith is one of just three generals who has been confirmed to a new position since February. He has been working as both commandant and his own assistant commandant since mid-September because the Senate has been unable to confirm an official deputy for him. There is no indication that his workload contributed to his heart attack, but working two jobs likely didn’t help. Heckl has also been working multiple jobs due to Tuberville’s blockade. This is likely why he is only performing the commandant’s duties instead of completely taking over the role until Smith returns: he already has several balls he needs to keep in the air.Tuberville has blocked more than 300 promotions since March in protest over the Defense Department’s policy of reimbursing travel costs for service members who have to go out of state for an abortion. The department has repeatedly warned that the blockade, which at one point left three branches of the military without official leaders, harms U.S. national security.Smith’s health crisis is the clearest sign yet of how much damage Tuberville is causing. The Marines are technically without an official leader for the foreseeable future. This will make it that much more complicated for the military branch to do anything.If there was any hope that Smith’s heart attack would force Tuberville to admit he is wrong, there is no such luck. Tuberville told reporters Tuesday that he is considering calling for a floor vote on Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney nomination for Marine Corps assistant commandant.But he still refuses to budge on any of the other hundreds of nominations that he is holding up. “If they move the policy back, then we’ll drop ’em all,” he said, referring to the abortion policy.The Pentagon, however, says the policy isn’t going anywhere. “That just would be an egregious violation of the covenant that we make, the military makes, with the people that sign up and volunteer,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said earlier this month when asked why the department doesn’t drop the policy.“When they volunteer for that duty, they have every right to expect that they’re going to get the health care they need.”
The Marine Corps’s chief officer has been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack, leaving the military branch scrambling to fill gaps in leadership caused by Senator Tommy Tuberville’s block on military promotions. And no, the Republican senator won’t let up.
General Eric Smith collapsed while jogging Sunday and has been hospitalized, The New York Times reported. The Marines announced the following day that Lieutenant General Karsten Heckl would serve as acting commandant while Smith is out of commission.
The Marines then corrected their own announcement, saying that Heckl would only be “performing the duties” of commandant.
Part of the reason for the confusion is that Tuberville’s blockade on military promotions has prevented the Marines—and all branches of the military—from filling many leadership positions. Smith is one of just three generals who has been confirmed to a new position since February. He has been working as both commandant and his own assistant commandant since mid-September because the Senate has been unable to confirm an official deputy for him. There is no indication that his workload contributed to his heart attack, but working two jobs likely didn’t help.
Heckl has also been working multiple jobs due to Tuberville’s blockade. This is likely why he is only performing the commandant’s duties instead of completely taking over the role until Smith returns: he already has several balls he needs to keep in the air.
Tuberville has blocked more than 300 promotions since March in protest over the Defense Department’s policy of reimbursing travel costs for service members who have to go out of state for an abortion. The department has repeatedly warned that the blockade, which at one point left three branches of the military without official leaders, harms U.S. national security.
Smith’s health crisis is the clearest sign yet of how much damage Tuberville is causing. The Marines are technically without an official leader for the foreseeable future. This will make it that much more complicated for the military branch to do anything.
If there was any hope that Smith’s heart attack would force Tuberville to admit he is wrong, there is no such luck. Tuberville told reporters Tuesday that he is considering calling for a floor vote on Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney nomination for Marine Corps assistant commandant.
But he still refuses to budge on any of the other hundreds of nominations that he is holding up. “If they move the policy back, then we’ll drop ’em all,” he said, referring to the abortion policy.
The Pentagon, however, says the policy isn’t going anywhere. “That just would be an egregious violation of the covenant that we make, the military makes, with the people that sign up and volunteer,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said earlier this month when asked why the department doesn’t drop the policy.
“When they volunteer for that duty, they have every right to expect that they’re going to get the health care they need.”
