ROA praises backlogged flag officer confirmations

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, December 7, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Reserve Organization of America offered its appreciation to Sen. Tommy Tuberville for lifting his hold, and to the Senate for approving more than 400 general and flag officer promotions Tuesday.

“Friction and contention in Congress is inherent in its design by the founders. Yet, ROA will work to ease such friction when our nation’s military readiness is at stake,” said ROA’s executive director, retired Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey E. Phillips.

In September, ROA called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to allow for one-by-one consideration of the remaining nominees to keep the process moving.

“ROA does not challenge the legitimacy of longstanding U.S. Senate procedures,” wrote Phillips. “ROA is focused on arriving at a solution.”

One proposed solution endorsed by ROA was S.Res.444, which would have enabled the Senate to approve most of the held nominations in bulk without unanimous consent. The resolution, introduced by the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, Rep. Jack Reed (RI), passed the Senate rules and administration committee on Nov. 14.

ROA’s legislation and military policy director, Matthew Schwartzman, was present for the vote and met with the offices of every single committee member urging unanimous support.

“There were three words that [rules and administration committee] Chairwoman [Amy] Klobuchar brought up [in her remarks] that I want to put forward: improvise, adapt, and overcome. That’s exactly what Senate Resolution 444 does and that’s exactly why ROA endorses this proposal,” said Schwartzman in a video address from the hearing room.

While S.Res.444 did not receive a vote on the Senate floor, it has been stated that the resolutions passage prompted the lift on the hold.

While the Senate’s Tuesday vote represents real progress, thirty nominations remain. At least 11 are four-star officers.

ROA urges the majority leader to bring those nominations to the floor one-by-one, just as he did with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Army chief of staff, and U.S. Marine Corps Commandant.

While it remains unclear as to when the remaining nominees will be considered, what is clear is the importance of immediately approving them. So too is ROA’s commitment to ensuring military readiness and reassuring young officers that their nation values their service and supports their military careers.

Matthew Schwartzman
Reserve Organization of America
mschwartzman@roa.org
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