{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases/release-auchincloss-leads-colleagues-on-china-select-committee-in-urging-leader-mcconnell-to-end-senator-tubervilles-blockade-of-military-nominations", "RELEASE: Auchincloss Leads Colleagues on China Select Committee in Urging Leader McConnell to End Senator Tuberville\u2019s Blockade of Military Nominations", "2023-11-07", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Jake Auchincloss", "A000148", "auchincloss.house.gov", "auchincloss", "https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cThe U.S. stands at a critical juncture in its strategic competition against the People\u2019s Republic of China. Our servicemembers should not be used as bargaining chips for domestic political fights.\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 In response to Senator Tuberville\u2019s ongoing blockade of military nominations, Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D, MA-04) led his Democratic colleagues on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in sending a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to bring an end to Senator Tuberville\u2019s obstruction. The letter explains how the delays weaken our country, abuse the tenets of our civilian-led military, and gift authoritarian leaders talking points about our political dysfunction.\n\nFurther, the letter highlights the Senate\u2019s bipartisan efforts to overcome Senator Tuberville\u2019s obstruction and encourages a bipartisan solution, but not a single Republican on the Committee elected to sign the letter.\n\nIn the letter the members stated, \u201cAs Members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, we are particularly concerned about the national security implications of delaying nominations for positions in the Indo-Pacific.\n\n\u201cThe U.S. stands at a critical juncture in its strategic competition against the People\u2019s Republic of China. Our servicemembers should not be used as bargaining chips for domestic political fights. \u2026 The challenges our country faces today are simply too great to continue allowing the politicization of an historically nonpartisan confirmation process.\u201d\n\nA full copy of the letter can be found below and attached.\n\nNovember 7, 2023\n\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell\n\nMinority Leader\n\nUnited States Senate\n\nWashington, DC 20510\n\nDear Leader McConnell:\n\nWe write today to express our deep concerns regarding Senator Tuberville\u2019s ongoing blockade of military nominations. While we understand an individual senator\u2019s ability to represent their state, delaying military nominations weakens our country, abuses the tenets of our civilian-led military, and gifts authoritarian leaders talking points about our political dysfunction. We urge you, as the Senate Minority Leader, to bring an end to Senator Tuberville\u2019s obstruction.\n\nAs Members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, we are particularly concerned about the national security implications of delaying nominations for positions in the Indo-Pacific. According to the Washington Post, there are at least ten nominations on hold in this region alone, including the next Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.[1] This is a critical leadership position for the United States to not only demonstrate its commitment to the region, but also to deter conflict and aggression.\n\nHouse Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul expressed our sentiments when he characterized Senator Tuberville\u2019s actions as \u201cparalyzing,\u201d demonstrating that this is a national security concern. Such uncertainty does not instill faith in our military \u2013 neither for servicemembers nor civilians.\n\nA 2019 Gallup survey found that 73 percent of the American public has either a \u201cgreat deal\u201d or \u201cquite a lot\u201d of trust in the U.S. military as an institution. In 2023, that number is down to 60 percent \u2013 the lowest in two decades. This corresponds to anemic recruiting numbers; the Army, Navy, and Air Force are all on track to have a shortfall of thousands per branch this year. The U.S. stands at a critical juncture in its strategic competition against the People\u2019s Republic of China. Our servicemembers should not be used as bargaining chips for domestic political fights.\n\nFor 62 years in a row, Congress has worked across the aisle to enact the National Defense Authorization Act to ensure our military has the resources it needs. The process for confirming our nation\u2019s seniormost uniformed officers should be treated with the same consideration.\n\nThe consequences of instability within America\u2019s military leadership do not stop at the water\u2019s edge. One of the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s propaganda messages is that the U.S. is a fair-weather friend to Taiwan. While this is patently false, deterrence hinges on perception. The Select Committee has thoroughly investigated the avenues by which the U.S. can strengthen deterrence across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific. The perceptions generated by Senator Tuberville\u2019s actions cannot but alarm our allies and partners across the region.\n\nWe are heartened by the bipartisan efforts to overcome Senator Tuberville\u2019s obstruction and confirm several candidates to top leadership posts. The challenges our country faces today are simply too great to continue allowing the politicization of an historically nonpartisan confirmation process. We appreciate your consideration of these concerns and strongly urge you to continue bipartisan efforts to overcome your colleague\u2019s destabilizing actions.?\n\nSincerely,\n\nJake Auchincloss\n\nMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases/release-auchincloss-leads-colleagues-on-china-select-committee-in-urging-leader-mcconnell-to-end-senator-tubervilles-blockade-of-military-nominations"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.577399903908372, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}