Senate Republican holds Coast Guard promotions hostage to force Trump admin's hand

Source: Raw Story

April 21, 2026 3:23PM ET


A Senate Republican refused to get on board with a vote to approve hundreds of Coast Guard promotions as a way to force the Trump administration to resolve an issue with an anonymous Florida shipbuilder.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida blocked a vote on Tuesday that would immediately approve the promotion of a tranche of Coast Guard personnel, Politico reported. Votes on a package of personnel promotions usually pass with little fuss or opposition, Politico noted. Majority Leader John Thune told reporters a day earlier that the promotions were a priority for the Trump administration.

“Since Trump came into office [I've been talking] about trying to resolve an issue they have with a boat builder in Florida. And they … won’t put the time in to get a result,” Scott said in an interview. "You have to get this resolved."

Scott, a Navy veteran, avoided specifics about the issue or which shipbuilder was in question. Politico reported Scott has had friendly connections to the Eastern Shipbuilding Group, based in Panama City, Florida, going back to his days as the governor of the Sunshine State.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/gop-senator-2676794594/