Alabama State Conference of the NAACP

P.O. Box 866

Athens, AL 35612
256-444-1300
info@alnaacp.org

August 17, 2023

President The Honorable Tommy Tuberville

Benard Simelton US Senator, AL
2101 Clinton Ave West
1st V.P. Huntsville, AL 35805
Ronald Ali
Dear Senator Tuberville,
2nd V. P.
Wilbert Woodruff The Alabama State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) and its Veterans Affairs Committee are respectfully asking that you release the
hold that you have put on senior military officers’ promotions. These unwarranted holds are
3rd V.P. causing grave harm to our military readiness. These individuals have earned their promotions
Rev Kenneth Dukes
and need to fill these critical command and control positions so that America can continue to be
the strongest military in the world.
Secretary
Gwen Bean Davis The Alabama NAACP tried to schedule an in-person meeting with you to discuss, but your staff
in Huntsville stated that you would not be available.
Asst Secretary
Ann Jones The attached resolutions adopted by the Alabama State NAACP in July and the National NAACP
resolution adopted during National Convention signifies the importance of releasing the holds on
these critical promotions.
Treasurer
The NAACP stands ready to meet with you to discuss further.
Asst Treasurer
Stanley McCrary Sincerely,

Benard Simelton
STAFF President
Member National Board of Directors
Executive Director
Dr. James Averhart Encls: Alabama NAACP Resolution
Office Administrator National NAACP Resolution
Jolie Halsey
 NAACP
URGING THE US SENATE EXPEDITE CRUCIAL MILITARY LEADERS NOMINATIONS AND
PROMOTIONS TO THE FLOOR OF THE US SENATE TO BE CONFIRMED IMMEDIATELY
Approved by the National Board of Directors
July 28, 2023

WHEREAS, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville has effectively staged an unprecedented

blockade of the U.S. Senate’s consideration of the nominations and promotions of more than
260 senior military officers since February 2023; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. military positions awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate include the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corp, and the Vice
Chief of Staff of the of the Air Force among many other general and flag officers that could
balloon to over 650 by the end of 2023 if not addressed; and

WHEREAS, Senator Tuberville’s confirmation blockade of high-ranking generals, admirals and

other nominations was activated in an attempt to force a change in the US militaries abortion
policies announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on October 20, 2022, following the
Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (June 24, 2022),
the Supreme Court decision which overturned the nationwide right-to-abortion held in Roe v.
Wade (1973), ensuring that all U.S. troops have access to reproductive healthcare ; and

WHEREAS, Senator Tuberville’s blockade stalling the US Senate’s military officers confirmation
process has been in effect since February 2023, refusing to relent unless the U.S. Department of
Defense scraps its present policy instituted after the Supreme Court struck down the
constitutional right to abortion last year offering time off and travel reimbursement to service
members who need to travel out of state for reproductive healthcare; and

WHEREAS, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has made it abundantly clear that the ongoing
hold on senior military promotions is “unprecedented in its scale and scope” and poses a “clear
risk” to the military’s ability to function properly, he added in a 4 page, May 5, 2023 letter to
the Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Elizabeth Warren
(MA), ”The longer that this hold persist, the greater the risk the U.S. military runs in every
theater, every domain, and every service”; and

WHEREAS, according to Secretary Austin, Tuberville’s hold will affect 64-three and four star
positions due to rotate within couple of months, this includes the top officers of the Army,
Navy, and Marine Corp, as well as the heads of U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Cyber
Command who serves as the Director of the National Security Agency; and

1
WHEREAS, upon reviewing the pool of nominees that have been through the first stages of the
vetting process and now awaiting the opportunity to be considered by the full U.S Senate, there
has not been a more racial, ethnic, LGBTQ or gender diverse group of high leveled nominees
considered in prior years.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NAACP endorses and supports the appointment of General
Charles Q. Brown Jr. presently serving as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, to the position of
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, by among other strategies, engaging all NAACP State
Conferences and local Branches to immediately contact their U.S. Senators to expedite General
Browns appointment; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NAACP endorses and supports the appointment of
Tanya J. Bradsher, presently serving as Chief of Staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs, to
the position of Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, the NAACP strongly supports and urges the immediate
ending the unprecedented blockade staged by Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville before the
U.S. Senate, urges the US Senate to expedite the full consideration of the nominations and
promotions of the more than 260 senior military general and flag officers now pending before
the U.S. Senate since February 2023 and work to prevent the general and flag officers vacancies
from ballooning to over 650 by the end of 2023.