The Senate has circumvented a hold by Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville and confirmed Adm. Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy. Thursday's 95-1 vote makes Franchetti the first woman to be a Pentagon service chief and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Franchetti’s historic confirmation as the chief of naval operations comes as Tuberville has drawn bipartisan criticism for holding up almost 400 military nominations in an effort to protest Pentagon abortion policy. Several Republican senators angrily held the floor for more than four hours on Wednesday evening and called up 61 of the nominations for votes. Tuberville blocked every one.
