The Senate voted to confirm Gen. Charles Q. Brown to replace Gen. Mark Milley as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on On Wednesday, Sept. 21. This comes as hundreds of military promotions have been blocked by freshman Sen. Tommy Tuberville (AL-R) over the Pentagon’s abortion policy.

Gen. Milley’s four-year term as chairman ends on Sept. 30, and he is retiring after serving in the military for four decades. Milley’s replacement, Brown, was nominated by President Joe Biden months ago and was confirmed with a vote of 83-11.

The months-long hold-up and blockage of hundreds more military promotions comes as Tuberville, acting alone, demands the Pentagon changes its abortion policy. Currently, military members seeking abortions can be reimbursed for out-of-state travel.

The hold on promotions has received pushback from both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY-D) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY-R). Tuberville’s hold grinds the process to a halt; with more than 300 nominees waiting, the delay would require the Senate to confirm each individually, a process that would bog down the chamber for months.

Democrats say Tuberville’s actions threaten national security, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States has also urged Tuberville to lift his hold on military promotions.

Brown, 60, is the nation’s first African American to lead a branch of the U.S. military. His confirmation makes history as, for the first time, African Americans will hold the Pentagon’s top two posts.
Despite the blockade, Schumer has set Senate floor votes for Gen. Randy A. George to be chief of staff for the Army and Gen. Eric Smith to be promoted to commandant of the Marine Corps.