The Marines are without a confirmed leader for first time in a century as Tuberville continues protest

The United States Marine Corps does not have a confirmed leader for the first time in over a century as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., continues to block promotions for senior military jobs.

Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant of the Marine Corps on Monday after taking over in July 2019. Gen. Eric Smith, currently the Marine Corp’s assistant commandant, is nominated as the next leader, but he is set to serve in an acting role because he hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate.

Tuberville has held up more than 200 military promotions that require Senate confirmation as a protest over a Department of Defense policy that includes provisions for paid leave and covering expenses for service members traveling to have an abortion. He has claimed the policy is a violation of federal law.

Smith will be able to serve as the acting commandant, but he can’t issue new formal commandant’s planning guidance, or make other moves. He will be able to implement some new policies, ranging from budgets to training.

The last time the Marine Corps was led by an acting commandant was 1910, according to the Associated Press.

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Berger during a ceremony at the Marine Barracks Washington in Washington, D.C. called on the Senate to act and approve a leader for the Marine Corps.

“We need the Senate to do their job so that we can have a sitting commandant that’s appointed and confirmed. We need that house to be occupied,” said Berger, referring to the nearby commandant’s quarters.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said “Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history.”

“Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of allies and partners. And they’re crucial for our military readiness,” he added.

Austin has previously called Tuberville’s actions “irresponsible” and “unprecedented,” and multiple Biden administration officials have accused the Republican lawmaker of endangering national security.

Tuberville in a Washington Post op-ed published last month denied that his hold affects national security, writing “Acting officials are in each one of the positions that are due for a promotion. The hold affects only those at the very top — generals and flag officers. The people who actually fight are not affected at all.”

Sabrina Singh, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, said as of last week, there are 265 senior officers whose promotions have been derailed by Tuberville.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marines without confirmed leader as Tuberville protest continues