Tony Thurmond: “Today there are 25 military nominations pending before the Senate. These general and flag officers have been on the…”

“Today there are 25 military nominations pending before the Senate. These general and flag officers have been on the Executive Calendar and available for confirmation by the Senate since Thursday May 2, 1996. Now, 3 weeks later, they are still not confirmed because one Senator has placed a hold on these nominations. I do not like anonymous holds for any reason. In my view, this type of hold is within the bounds of Senatorial privilege. Traditionally, military nominations have not been the subject of political holds. The 25 general and flag officers being held today are hostages, I believe, to a political debate which is totally unrelated to the qualifications or assignments of the nominees.”