US President Joe Biden announces his nomination of Air Force General Charles Brown, Jr. (R) to serve as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, May 25, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)

The US Senate has approved the appointment of Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding the retiring Gen. Mark Milley as the highest-ranking military officer in the nation.

The votes were cast following several months during which Senator Tommy Tuberville had obstructed the swift confirmation of numerous military appointments and advancements as a form of protest against the Pentagon's abortion travel policy.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer revealed intentions to advance the nominations on Wednesday, with Tuberville stating that he would not impede or obstruct the process of conducting those votes.

The Senate approved Gen. Brown as Joint Chiefs chairman with a vote of 83-10 and scheduled another vote to confirm Gen. Randy George as Army chief of staff. This is considered an unprecedented historical incident where the US military has had to function without Senate-confirmed leaders at the helm of three branches: the Army, Marines, and Navy.

Tuberville's obstruction is not expected to come to an end with this decision. Schumer chose to allocate floor time for voting on these crucial positions, but it is unlikely that he will do the same for the over 300 nominees that Tuberville is currently impeding.

The majority of these appointments typically receive confirmation through a process known as "unanimous consent," enabling the Senate to swiftly approve uncontroversial matters as long as no senator raises objections.

The big picture

Tuberville has placed a hold on these nominations for over six months as a form of protest against the Pentagon's policy of reimbursing service members for abortion-related expenses incurred out of state.

During the Senate Republicans' weekly lunch on Tuesday, Tuberville informed his colleagues that he intends to compel a vote on Gen. Eric Smith, who is the nominee for the position of commandant of the Marine Corps.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin expressed the impracticality of holding votes on the delayed nominations, stating that it would require "100 days of floor activity ... So it's not practical," he said.