The Senate confirmed large batches of Defense Department nominees this month, ending a 10-month blockade on military promotions for hundreds of officers — except one.
As the Senate gaveled out for their holiday recess Wednesday, the promotion of Air Force Col. Benjamin Jonsson remained on hold.
Even after the months-long blockade on military promotions was lifted this month by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who was protesting military abortion access policies, another senator stepped in to block Jonsson’s promotion to brigadier general.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is stonewalling the promotion because of his concerns about Jonsson’s stances on the military’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Schmitt’s office did not elaborate on his reason for the hold, other than to describe DEI programs as divisive and to note that Schmitt was a proponent of ending them.
“Senator Schmitt has long been an advocate for eradicating these DEI programs, and hopes to resolve these issues to ensure that these divisive DEI programs don’t continue to drive a wedge between military members and deepen the already existing recruiting crisis,” Will O’Grady, Schmitt’s press secretary, said in a statement.
Because Jonsson’s nomination wasn’t approved before the Senate recessed for the year, the White House will have to resubmit his nomination for promotion to the Senate in 2024, according to Senate rules described by the Congressional Research Service. . . . (read more on Military Times)
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