Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Thursday that she would block over 1100 military promotions unless Defense Secretary Mark Esper allowed LTC Alexander Vindman’s promotion.
Duckworth issued a statement vowing to hold up the promotions of some 1123 senior military officers — by blocking their confirmation votes in the Senate — unless Esper “confirms in writing that he did not, or will not, block the expected and deserved promotion of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to Colonel.” (RELATED: Democrats Celebrate As Bill Compelling Doctors To Save Newborns Dies In The Senate)
Inbox: Tammy Duckworth says she will block Senate confirmation of more than 1,100 senior military officers awaiting promotion until the SECDEF “confirms in writing that he did not, or will not, block the expected and deserved promotion of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to Colonel.” pic.twitter.com/wrmFRU6V86
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) July 2, 2020
.@EsperDoD must do his job and keep his word.
Until he confirms in writing that he did, or will, submit the FULL list of O6 promotions selected to send to the Senate, I will hold up the confirmation of 1,123 senior military promotions. https://t.co/Anc8i9lCLO
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) July 2, 2020
Duckworth gave a list of criteria that Esper’s written confirmation must include before she relinquished her hold on the promotions.
- Whether the Army Competitive Category promotion board for Lieutenant Colonel (O5) to Colonel (O6) included Lt. Col. Vindman among its selection for promotion to O6,
- If so, whether the Army included Lt. Col. Vindman on its list of promotions to O6 that it sent to the Pentagon, and
- If so, whether Secretary Esper or his designee will (or has) submitted a list of Army promotions to O6 to the White House for approval that includes (or included) Lt. Col. Vindman.
Duckworth’s fear, reportedly, was that Vindman could be passed over for promotion because of his role as a witness in the impeachment of President Donald Trump. (RELATED: Medal Of Honor Recipient Says LTC Vindman Was A ‘Spotlighter’ Whose Own Peers Wanted Him Out)
For context: ‘An Army officer’s promotion is in jeopardy over what some officials fear could be White House retaliation for his role in last year’s impeachment inquiry, raising the possibility that President Trump might again intervene in military affairs’ https://t.co/ppwe3KqavF
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) July 2, 2020
The Illinois Senator, who sits on the Armed Services Committee and has the authority to block the full promotion list, explained further, saying that it was “unprecedented and wrong for any commander-in-chief to meddle in routine military matters at all, whether or not he has a personal vendetta against a soldier who did his patriotic duty and told the truth — a soldier who has been recommended for promotion by his superiors because of his performance.”
