The Pentagon is urging the Senate to confirm Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark as the top Army commander in the Pacific amid a hold put in place by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is blocking the nomination over concerns that Clark played a role in the secrecy surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization earlier this year.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said today the Senate should confirm Clark to be the Army’s top general in the Pacific -- the Defense Department’s “priority theater” -- as he is “a highly qualified senior officer” who has served in numerous leadership positions throughout his career.
“He's exactly the kind of leader we need,” Ryder said. “I just can't speak highly enough of [Lt. Gen.] Clark and his qualifications for this position.”
Blocking DOD nominees is nothing new for Tuberville, who faced criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike last year for holding scores of DOD nominations and promotions over his opposition to the department’s travel and leave policy for servicemembers seeking abortion services. He eventually relented, lifting a blanket hold on more than 400 military nominees.
Tuberville’s office told the Washington Post that the senator is concerned that Clark, while he served as a senior aid to Austin, did not immediately alert the White House about the defense secretary’s condition.
Ryder said the Pentagon’s own internal review found “it was clear that at no time was there a gap in the chain of command” while Austin was hospitalized. The review, however, has been criticized by GOP lawmakers and the DOD inspector general has launched its own investigation into the matter. The IG’s office did not immediately respond to a request for information on the status of the review, which was announced in January.
Austin has testified before Congress and apologized for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization, which was related to a urinary tract infection following surgery to treat prostate cancer.
Meanwhile, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) told Politico he may work with other lawmakers to override Tuberville’s hold on Clark, who was first nominated in July.
Back at the Pentagon, Ryder said the Senate should also consider the disruptions Tuberville’s previous holds had on the military.
“We would urge the Senate to confirm all of our qualified nominees and, as we’ve seen before, these kinds of holds can really undermine our military readiness,” he said.