[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 179 (Tuesday, October 31, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under 
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination 
     of Executive Calendar No. 333, Lt. Gen. Christopher J. 
     Mahoney for appointment as Assistant Commandant of the Marine 
     Corps and appointment to the grade indicated while assigned 
     to a position of importance and responsibility under title 
     10, U.S.C., sections 601 and 8044: to be General.
         Charles E. Schumer, Jack Reed, Alex Padilla, Tim Kaine, 
           Margaret Wood Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen, Gary C. Peters, 
           Richard J. Durbin, Christopher A. Coons, Catherine 
           Cortez Masto, Richard Blumenthal, Mark R. Warner, Tammy 
           Baldwin, Edward J. Markey, Mazie K. Hirono, Angus S. 
           King, Jr., Sherrod Brown, Peter Welch.

  Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory 
quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, October 31, be 
waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, a few moments ago, I filed cloture on the 
President's nominees for Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Chief 
of Staff, the remaining vacancies on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I have 
also filed cloture on the nomination of Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to 
serve as Assistant Commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps. Lieutenant 
General Mahoney's confirmation is urgent in light of the frightening 
news that Gen. Eric Smith, confirmed last month to lead the U.S. Marine 
Corps, was hospitalized Sunday after a serious medical emergency. We 
pray for General Smith's recovery. Our thoughts are with him and his 
family.
  This scary incident involving General Smith shows why it is supremely 
risky to play politics with military appointments, as Senator 
Tuberville is doing. Emergencies happen, and when they do, the chain of 
command must be able to respond. But thanks to Senator Tuberville, 
there is no current No. 2 at the Marine Corps to fill in.
  The situation at the Marine Corps is precisely the kind of avoidable 
emergency that Senator Tuberville has provoked through his blanket 
holds. Lieutenant General Mahoney should have been appointed a very 
long time ago, but he is one of the more than 300 nominees whom Senator 
Tuberville is brazenly blocking to advance his extreme agenda.
  Every day that Senator Tuberville continues his blanket holds, our 
military preparedness is worse off, our military families suffer, and 
our military appointments risk being further ensnared in partisan 
politics, which is a point of no return we must never cross in the 
Senate.
  Senator Tuberville should drop his blanket holds at once, and in the 
meantime, the Senate will proceed to confirm these nominations that 
should have been swiftly approved long ago, as has been the custom in 
the Senate for decades.

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