President Joe Biden named Admiral Lisa Franchetti to be the next Chief of Naval Operations, the first woman to hold that position as well as the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CNN reports. Franchetti’s nomination will have to wait, however, until Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville lifts his hold on the promotions for senior military offices in a hissy fit about the Pentagon policy to pay for the travel expenses for military members and family who need to go to another state for a safe abortion.
Franchetti joins the nominees for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown; nominee for Army chief of staff, Gen. Randy George; and nominee for commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith. The national security risks of having scores of senior staff positions unconfirmed is raising concern in the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is considering holding the Senate in session over the August break if Republicans can’t wrangle their obstructionist football coach.