Senator to block 1,123 promotions unless SecDef says Lt. Col. Vindman's promotion won't be stopped
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Thursday that she would put a hold on the confirmation of over 1,000 military promotions until Defense Secretary Mark Esper provided assurances on the promotion of a former White House aide who testified in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial.
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who provided some of the most damaging testimony during an investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives into Trump's dealings with Ukraine, is up for a promotion to colonel. However, there is concern his promotion could be affected due to political reasons.
"Our military is supposed to be the ultimate meritocracy. It is simply unprecedented and wrong for any commander in chief to meddle in routine military matters at all," said Duckworth, a former Army National Guard helicopter pilot who lost both legs when she was shot down in Iraq in 2004.
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