Chiefs of the Navy and Air Force, as well as the second-in-command at the Marine Corps, were confirmed Thursday by the Senate after a wild week that saw the leader of the Marines hospitalized and Republican senators unleash fury at the member of their party responsible for blocking the promotions of nearly 380 generals and admirals.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm Adm. Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations, making her the first woman to sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. David Allvin as chief of staff of the Air Force. The chamber also unanimously approved Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to get a fourth star and be the assistant commandant of the Marines, allowing him to step in as acting commandant while Gen. Eric Smith remains hospitalized for an undisclosed medical emergency.
The confirmations came after a group of Republicans, led by Marine reservist Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, held the Senate floor for more than four hours on Wednesday night to force Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to object one-by-one to promoting 61 military nominees.
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While some Republicans had previously commented that they opposed Tuberville’s tactic, Wednesday night’s showdown on the Senate floor marked the first time Republicans took public action to try to overcome the blockade Tuberville has maintained on senior…
