The following is the May 15, 2025, Government Accountability Office report, Military Generals and Admirals: Information on the Effects of Senate Nomination Blanket Holds.
Why This Matters
Generals and admirals, known as general and flag officers (GFO), are the senior military leaders within the Department of Defense (DOD) who plan and implement U.S. military operations, among other things. For example, GFOs include the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Senate, in its capacity to give advice and consent to the President on appointing officers of the United States, routinely considers and votes whether to approve nominations for positions including GFOs. When a Senator objects to a category of nominations, such as all GFOs, this is known as a “blanket hold.”
On two occasions in 2020 and 2023, all nominations for GFOs were on a blanket hold from Senate confirmation. While the 2020 blanket hold was in effect for about 2 weeks, the 2023 hold lasted approximately 10 months. Senior leaders within DOD, including the Secretary of Defense at the time and a group of former Secretaries of Defense who served in bipartisan administrations, expressed concerns that the nomination hold in 2023 posed a risk to national security and the well-being of military families, among other things.
You asked us to review issues surrounding past holds on GFO nominations. This report describes effects on military readiness, leadership continuity, nominated officers, and military families as a result of past Senate blanket holds on GFO nominations, as well as steps DOD took to mitigate the effects of the holds.
Key Takeaways
- The 2023 Senate blanket hold on GFO nominations lasted for approximately 10 months and affected 447 individual GFO nominees.
- During the 2023 hold, DOD senior leaders expressed concerns about risks to national security. The 2023 hold on GFO nominations affected DOD’s leadership continuity across the department. Our review of readiness documentation and data did not identify challenges for unit-level readiness.
- The 2023 hold disrupted the military promotion cycle for some officers, which affected nominated officers’ eligibility for promotions and pay. Effects on military families varied based on individual circumstances. DOD officials cited military families’ inability to move to planned duty stations, enroll children at their next schools on time, and seek new spousal employment opportunities as financial and personal challenges stemming from the hold.
- DOD mitigated potential operational effects of the 2023 hold by proceeding with planned assignments for some officers, deferring retirements, and having senior civilian executives and officers serve in acting capacities to ensure continuity of operations.
Download the document here.
