Tuberville holds back military promotion of top Austin aide

CNN
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A spokesman for the Republican senator from Alabama confirmed to CNN that he had put on hold the promotion of Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

“Senator Tuberville is concerned about Lt. Gen. Clark’s actions during Secretary Austin’s hospitalization,” Tuberville’s spokeswoman Mallory Jaspers told CNN. “Lt. Gen. Clark knew Secretary Austin was incapacitated and did not inform the commander in chief. As a senior officer, Lt. Gen. Clark is obligated by his oath to notify the President when the chain of command is compromised.”

But this move is very different from when Tuberville ordered a blanket freeze on military promotions last year unless the Pentagon changed its abortion policy. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that this nomination, which is now on the table, could still be resolved with procedural motions and that it is just one nomination, not one of the hundreds of nominations made over the last year.

The release of a report from the Pentagon’s inspector general could also influence the future and speed of confirmation. The review was launched earlier this year to examine whether the Pentagon had the appropriate measures in place to ensure an effective transfer of power and responsibilities following Austin’s hospitalizations, which were not immediately communicated to the White House or other senior national security officials.

Jaspers said the senator was waiting “for the upcoming IG report.”

The Washington Post was the first to report on the delay.

James Adams, a Pentagon spokesman, told CNN that Clark is “highly qualified” for the job and “was nominated for this important position based on his experience and strategic expertise.” That experience includes his previous roles as commander of U.S. Army Central, the Army’s 25th Infantry Division and as chief of staff of U.S. Army Pacific.

“We call on the Senate to confirm all of our qualified nominees,” Adams said. “This reluctance undermines our military readiness.”

Austin was hospitalized on January 1 for complications following a December procedure for prostate cancer. The Pentagon did not inform the media until January 5, and despite the severity of his hospitalization, it was later revealed that Austin had not informed Congress or the White House of his diagnosis, the initial procedure, or the subsequent complications and hospitalization.

The failure to notify government officials sparked a firestorm in Congress, and during a February hearing, Austin was grilled by members of Congress about the days-long delay in informing both lawmakers and President Joe Biden of his whereabouts – with Republicans particularly eager to increase pressure on Austin.

A defense official on Tuesday cited a separate, completed Pentagon investigation that found no deliberate attempt to cover up Austin’s hospitalization. “The chain of command was not compromised. At no point were there any gaps in authority and there were no risks to the department’s command and control authority,” the official told CNN.

“The Senator’s suggestion that he is questioning the oath of a soldier who has honorably served his country as a senior politician for more than three decades is completely inappropriate,” they added.

Austin announced in a statement in July that Biden had nominated Clark, who currently serves as Austin’s senior military aide, for appointment as commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific.

With the nomination now up for debate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could hold a vote on it and waste time confirming the nominee since Tuberville cannot hold the position on his own forever.

Tuberville faced bipartisan pressure for several months last year to lift his blanket promotion freeze, which began last March and delayed the confirmation of more than 450 senior military nominees. Senior military leaders, including Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, told CNN at the time that lifting the promotion freeze would benefit the United States’ adversaries.

Tuberville has consistently said he wants the Pentagon to abandon its policy, in place since Roe v. Wade, of reimbursing military personnel who travel to other states for reproductive services, including abortions.

Late last year, he finally abandoned most of his orders, allowing the confirmation of hundreds of military nominations.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Oren Lieberman and Haley Britzky contributed to this report.