Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville is causing a delay in the promotion of Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, the top military aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, due to concerns about not immediately informing President Joe Biden of Austin’s hospitalization earlier this year. Biden nominated Clark to become the commander of U.S. Army forces in the Pacific in July. However, Tuberville and other Republicans are critical of Clark’s actions while Austin was hospitalized, as they believe that not notifying Biden could have resulted in confusion or delays in military operations.

This delay by Tuberville is reminiscent of his previous actions when he held up military promotions over a Pentagon abortion policy. After facing pressure from colleagues, Tuberville eventually relented, and the Senate approved the promotions. Despite their agreement on the abortion policy, his Republican colleagues urged him to release the holds out of concern for military readiness.

Tuberville’s spokeswoman, Hannah Eddins, stated that the senator is waiting for a report from the Pentagon’s inspector general before proceeding with Clark’s confirmation. As a senior officer, Clark’s obligation to inform the president when the chain of command is compromised is being questioned by Tuberville.

While Democrats could still bring Clark’s nomination to a vote, Tuberville’s hold is likely to delay the confirmation process. Pentagon spokesperson James Adams expressed concern about the delay affecting military readiness and urged the Senate to confirm all qualified nominees.

Austin has faced bipartisan criticism for not immediately informing Biden about his health issues and hospitalization. Despite taking responsibility and apologizing to Biden, Austin maintained that there were no lapses in the department’s control or national security during his absence.

To address similar situations in the future, the White House has established new guidelines to ensure prompt notification of any incapacity of Cabinet members to carry out their duties. These guidelines aim to avoid situations where critical information is delayed due to privacy concerns or staff hesitancy.