Nevada Has A Strong U.S. Military Presence, Including At Naval Air Station Fallon, Making It Critical To Have A Senate-Confirmed Top Leaders
Watch Senator Rosen’s remarks HERE.
WASHINGTON DC – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) lauded Admiral Lisa Franchetti — nominee to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and called for her swift confirmation. Senator Rosen highlighted Franchetti’s impressive career history and called for her swift confirmation. Admiral Franchetti would make history as the first woman to lead the Navy and serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Unfortunately, her confirmation is likely to be blocked by Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) hold on military promotions. For the first time in U.S. history, there are three vacancies on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The U.S. military has a strong presence in Nevada. Naval Air Station Fallon is the premier training location for Naval Aviation, including TOPGUN, making it critical to have a Senate-confirmed top Navy leader in place. Senator Rosen has been working in the Senate to ensure the Navy and Nevada servicemembers have what they need. She secured a bipartisan compromise to modernize the Fallon Range Training Complex at Naval Air Station Fallon, the Navy’s top legislative priority. Last year, following a year-long effort led by Senator Rosen, the Department of Defense heeded her call to provide a dislocation allowance to junior enlisted servicemembers who are ordered to move to off-base housing due to a lack of on-base dormitory availability, saving them from having to cover their own moving costs out of pocket before they began receiving their Basic Allowance for Housing. Senator Rosen is continuing to advocate for servicemembers in Nevada by fighting for additional base housing, childcare, and medical resources.
Below is an excerpt of the exchange:
Senator Rosen: I’d really like to thank Admiral Franchetti for your service to our country and for meeting me this week; because you have served our nation with distinction and honor.
I want to acknowledge your husband, Jim, your daughter Isabel, who also serve our nation as a military family.
And I want to underscore – I know we’ve all talked about it — some of your accomplishments, your professional accomplishments. It’s evidence of how qualified you are, Admiral Franchetti, to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.
Admiral Franchetti began her naval career as a surface warfare officer, serving on numerous ships in critical roles. During her time as a flag officer, she served all over the world in crucial roles both inside and outside the Pentagon. Most notably, she has led the Navy’s forces in both Europe and Africa as the head of the U.S. 6th fleet, and she has commanded not one, but two carrier strike groups at the same time.
Admiral Franchetti, your deeply impressive career history is evidence that are clearly well qualified to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and will break barriers as, I want to say, I’m so proud, the first woman to ever serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But this is about more than just making history. This is about making our nation stronger, having diverse experiences and backgrounds in the rooms where decisions are made. Well, that makes us stronger and will make our military stronger. And it’s past time that we have the first woman on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Any efforts to stall or block this nomination, this role from being filled, will only hurt our military readiness, will embolden our adversaries, and harm military families – your family. And that’s why I call on the Senator from Alabama to stop the political games and let us confirm you, Admiral Franchetti, along with the hundreds of other qualified nominees in the same way we’ve done for years. I look forward to that vote.
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