Sergeant Foley
Well-known member
If Tuberville's hold drags on with the intent of a Trump second term (assuming he defeats Biden in 2024) , I cannot see Brown getting confirmed as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.If Biden leaves office on Inauguration Day 2025 (i.e. is not reelected), it seems very likely that his replacement would be a Republican vs. Democrat/other. So what's the difference between (A) and (B)?
As for my answer, I suspect that Tuberville's fellow Republicans will crack on holding up appointments before the Democrats/military crack on the policy that inspired it. Before the election.
If I'm wrong on that, and a Republican is headed for the White House, then I think Democrats will crack instead of delaying the inevitable. If Republicans fail to win the presidency then they will probably drop it as quietly as possible with Democrats not publicizing it in return for speed. I don't think Republicans are willing to hold things up indefinitely (e.g. 4+ years).
Under the current rules (or is it custom?) Tuberville can hold things up singlehandedly, but if enough Republicans disagree with what he's doing they can threaten to work with Democrats to alter the rules to change that. I don't know Tuberville that well, but all I have to know about him is that other Republicans will crack before he does and I think that's correct.
So in all cases I think the jam will be over before any of the options you listed, although they might not finish getting through all the backlog before then.
And let's not forget about the possibility of the Republicans winning back control of the United States Senate next Fall.