Senate Confirms 3 Top Military Officials Amid Standoff Over Military Abortion Policy

With customary en masse Senate confirmation of military nominees blocked, Senate Democrats have bristled at the prospect of confirming them individually.

U.S. Rear Admiral Matt Kawas (R), commander of the USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), speaks as U.S. Rear Admiral Lisa Franchetti (L), commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, looks on during a media tour on board at a South Korean naval port in the southeastern port city of Busan on March 14, 2015. Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Senate voted on Nov. 2 to confirm three military officers for top leadership positions, including the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, amid delays in the Senate process for confirming military promotions and nominations.

The Senate confirmed Adm. Lisa Franchetti as the new chief of naval operations (CNO), making her the top uniformed Navy official and the first woman in history as a service chief, and Gen. David Allvin was approved as the new chief of staff of the Air Force, to become the top uniformed official of that military branch, both on 95–1 votes.