'We will lose talent' over Tuberville blockade, Joint Chiefs nominee warns

President Joe Biden's pick to be the nation's top military officer warned senators on Tuesday that an indefinite blockade of senior officer promotions could cause a brain drain in the ranks.

Testifying at his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing to be chair of the Joint Chiefs, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown said the effect of a prolonged hold on general and flag officers — launched by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) in protest of Pentagon abortion policies — could have far-reaching impacts on the armed forces that go beyond the officers now delayed.

Brown, in an exchange with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), said the inability of senior officers to take new assignments has a "chain of events" that affects junior officers as well as military families.

"We have our more junior officers who now will look up and say, 'If that's the challenge I'm going to have to deal with in the future … I'm going to balance between my family and serving in a senior position,'" Brown said. "And we will lose talent because of those challenges.

"The spouse network is alive and well, and the spouses will compare notes," he added. "The member may want to serve, but the spouses and the families get a huge vote."

No nominees for general or admiral have been confirmed for months because of Tuberville, who implemented the hold in order to force the Pentagon to reverse its policy to reimburse costs for troops who must travel to other states to seek abortions. More than 250 senior promotions are pending on the Senate floor.

The impasse has already started affecting the Joint Chiefs. Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger ended his four-year tour on Monday, but the nominee to succeed him, Gen. Eric Smith, is among those caught up in the delay. Smith, who is the Marines' No. 2 officer, has taken over the Corps on a temporary basis, giving the Marines an acting commandant for the first time in over 100 years. New chiefs for the Navy, Air Force and Army — along with Brown — are also among those who will be held up if the fight drags out.

Tuberville blocked a push by Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) to confirm Smith for the Marine job on Monday, and shows no signs of letting up. Similarly, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has so far avoided bringing up individual military picks for votes, instead keeping pressure on Republicans to intervene.

Tuberville did not mention his hold or the abortion policies at the confirmation hearing on Tuesday. But Democrats called out the Republican over his hold.

"What he could do to help is lift this stay before it does more damage to this country," Warren said of Tuberville.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) also ripped the holdup, arguing Tuberville is punishing apolitical military personnel for a policy that was out of their hands.

"I'm unaware of anything that they have done that would warrant them being disrespected, punished or delayed in their careers," Kaine said. "Just because a prerogative can be exercised, doesn't mean it should be exercised.

“I would urge all of my colleagues to turn away from the path that we're on where we're disrespecting and punishing people because we're unhappy with policies in the military that these individuals had nothing to do with," he said.