President Joe Biden appointed a new chief of U.S. Navy operations on Friday, overriding the recommendation made by the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin advised Biden to pick Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet. However, the president favored Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who will be the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pending confirmation by the Senate.
“As our next Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti will bring 38 years of dedicated service to our nation as a commissioned officer, including in her current role of Vice Chief of Naval Operations,” Biden said in a statement. “Throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas.”
Biden reportedly chose Franchetti based on the broad scope of her military experience, per AP News. Over the course of her career, Franchetti commanded two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Pacific. As head of U.S. Sixth Fleet, she oversaw the Navy’s response to Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s alleged deployment of chemical weapons, according to Fox News.
The president discussed his options for the nomination with Defense Secretary Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the Oval Office earlier in the week, Politico reported.
“I’m very proud that Admiral Franchetti has been nominated to be the first woman chief of naval operations and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where she will continue to inspire all of us,” Austin said, according to Fox News.
The promotion will have to be approved by Congress, where Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) is currently holding up confirmation proceedings over a Defense Department policy that uses taxpayer money to help service members get out-of-state abortions.
“What Sen. Tuberville is doing is not only wrong — it is dangerous,” Biden said, according to Fox News. “In this moment of rapidly evolving security environments and intense competition, he is risking our ability to ensure that the Armed Forces remain the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. And his Republican colleagues in the Senate know it.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a coalition of anti-abortion organizations called on lawmakers to drop the Department of Defense’s abortion-funding policy from the next iteration of the National Defense Authorization Act.