RELEASE: Auchincloss Leads Colleagues on China Select Committee in Urging Leader McConnell to End Senator Tuberville’s Blockade of Military Nominations
“The U.S. stands at a critical juncture in its strategic competition against the People’s Republic of China. Our servicemembers should not be used as bargaining chips for domestic political fights.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to Senator Tuberville’s ongoing blockade of military nominations, Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D, MA-04) led his Democratic colleagues on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in sending a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to bring an end to Senator Tuberville’s obstruction. The letter explains how the delays weaken our country, abuse the tenets of our civilian-led military, and gift authoritarian leaders talking points about our political dysfunction.
Further, the letter highlights the Senate’s bipartisan efforts to overcome Senator Tuberville’s obstruction and encourages a bipartisan solution, but not a single Republican on the Committee elected to sign the letter.
In the letter the members stated, “As Members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, we are particularly concerned about the national security implications of delaying nominations for positions in the Indo-Pacific.
“The U.S. stands at a critical juncture in its strategic competition against the People’s Republic of China. Our servicemembers should not be used as bargaining chips for domestic political fights. … The challenges our country faces today are simply too great to continue allowing the politicization of an historically nonpartisan confirmation process.”
A full copy of the letter can be found below and attached.
November 7, 2023
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader McConnell:
We write today to express our deep concerns regarding Senator Tuberville’s ongoing blockade of military nominations. While we understand an individual senator’s ability to represent their state, delaying military nominations weakens our country, abuses the tenets of our civilian-led military, and gifts authoritarian leaders talking points about our political dysfunction. We urge you, as the Senate Minority Leader, to bring an end to Senator Tuberville’s obstruction.
As Members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, we are particularly concerned about the national security implications of delaying nominations for positions in the Indo-Pacific. According to the Washington Post, there are at least ten nominations on hold in this region alone, including the next Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.[1] This is a critical leadership position for the United States to not only demonstrate its commitment to the region, but also to deter conflict and aggression.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul expressed our sentiments when he characterized Senator Tuberville’s actions as “paralyzing,” demonstrating that this is a national security concern. Such uncertainty does not instill faith in our military – neither for servicemembers nor civilians.
A 2019 Gallup survey found that 73 percent of the American public has either a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust in the U.S. military as an institution. In 2023, that number is down to 60 percent – the lowest in two decades. This corresponds to anemic recruiting numbers; the Army, Navy, and Air Force are all on track to have a shortfall of thousands per branch this year. The U.S. stands at a critical juncture in its strategic competition against the People’s Republic of China. Our servicemembers should not be used as bargaining chips for domestic political fights.
For 62 years in a row, Congress has worked across the aisle to enact the National Defense Authorization Act to ensure our military has the resources it needs. The process for confirming our nation’s seniormost uniformed officers should be treated with the same consideration.
The consequences of instability within America’s military leadership do not stop at the water’s edge. One of the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda messages is that the U.S. is a fair-weather friend to Taiwan. While this is patently false, deterrence hinges on perception. The Select Committee has thoroughly investigated the avenues by which the U.S. can strengthen deterrence across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific. The perceptions generated by Senator Tuberville’s actions cannot but alarm our allies and partners across the region.
We are heartened by the bipartisan efforts to overcome Senator Tuberville’s obstruction and confirm several candidates to top leadership posts. The challenges our country faces today are simply too great to continue allowing the politicization of an historically nonpartisan confirmation process. We appreciate your consideration of these concerns and strongly urge you to continue bipartisan efforts to overcome your colleague’s destabilizing actions.?
Sincerely,
Jake Auchincloss
Member of Congress