Admiral Lisa Franchetti Confirmed As US Chief Of Naval Operations
The United States Senate voted to confirm Admiral Lisa Franchetti as the Chief of Naval Operations on Thursday, making her the first woman to become the U.S. Navy’s top officer, as well as the first woman on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Alongside Admiral Franchetti’s confirmation, the Senate voted to confirm Air Force Gen. David Allvin as the service’s next chief of staff, ending the gap in Joint Chiefs of Staff leadership present since July due to Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville’s blockade of confirmation votes for Pentagon nominees. However, Tuberville’s hold means that both will be performing their duties without deputies.
The Senate also confirmed Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney as the Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps, with the Marine Corps’ second in command set to lead the service as Commandant Gen. Eric Smith recovers from a medical emergency.
The Marine Corps said Wednesday that Gen. Smith was in stable condition and recovering in a Washington D.C. hospital after he was hospitalized on October 29. “Updates to his condition will be provided as appropriate” said the statement.
After Gen. Smith’s hospitalization, Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl assumed the duties of Commandant on October 31, doing so without a deputy or an official replacement of his previous role of deputy commandant for combat development and integration.
Tuberville announced in February that he would block unanimous consent to approve military nominees in protest of Pentagon policy that reimburses service members for out-of-state travel for reproductive care, including abortions. As a result of his blockade, at least 375 nominees remain without confirmation, with the Pentagon saying the number could balloon to over 650 by year’s end.
Senate Democrats have been reluctant to hold individual votes, with the Congressional Research Service finding in September that it would take nearly 100 days of non-stop voting for eight hours each day to approve 273 promotions, even before the additional promotions.
Prior to his confirmation as Commandant, Gen. Smith said that his schedule in performing the duties of acting Commandant and Deputy Commandant was “not a sustainable thing”. In an October 29 speech, he noted that his workload had remained the same, having had to continue in both roles due to the lack of a confirmed deputy.