(NewsNation) — Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is making a splash again, blocking the nomination of Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark to a top Army role.
Tuberville’s newest military hold comes exactly nine months after he lifted his 10-month block on hundreds of nominees’ promotions stalled in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policies.
However, this time around, the military block has to do with concerns over Clark’s role in the delayed disclosure of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization last year.
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“Sen. Tuberville has concerns about Lt. Gen. Clark’s actions during Secretary Austin’s hospitalization,” Tuberville’s spokesperson Mallory Jaspers said Monday. “Lt. Gen. Clark knew that Sec. Austin was incapacitated and did not tell the Commander in Chief.”
“As a senior commissioned officer, Lt. Gen. Clark’s oath requires him to notify POTUS when the chain of command is compromised,” Jaspers continued.
Last December, the Pentagon failed to disclose Austin’s hospitalization, including to President Joe Biden, the National Security Council and top Pentagon leaders, for days, reflecting a lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was and when he may have been released.
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The political controversy comes from the secrecy of the Pentagon’s decision to keep such important information disclosed, especially when the U.S. was juggling a myriad of national security issues at the time.
However, the Pentagon told the Washington Post that Clark is “highly qualified” for the position, especially due to his expertise in leading troops overseas.
“We urge the Senate to confirm all of our qualified nominees. These holds undermine our military readiness,” Pentagon spokesperson James Adams said.
