Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida lifted his monthslong hold on promotions within the Coast Guard on Thursday, reversing course amid an ongoing conflict with a shipbuilder.
Scott held up hundreds of promotions beginning in April over a dispute involving a government contract with the Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group. The senior senator had blocked the upper chamber’s ability to quickly clear large batches of Coast Guard officers through unanimous consent instead of roll call votes.
“As I have said from the beginning, I care deeply about these Coast Guard promotions. Though we’re still not done, I’m lifting these holds as all parties have been working together in good faith and are moving towards an amenable agreement,” Scott said in a statement Thursday, adding that the Coast Guard procurement process still needs fixes.