An inspector general report found confusion and concerns among employees regarding the abortion access rules. The Senate is expected to fill three vacancies on the Joint Chiefs of Staff — including the chairman post — after a surprise breakthrough Wednesday. “This is a situation that one senator has created for us,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Maryland. Some lawmakers want individual votes on high-ranking military posts to ensure that the leadership gaps don't get worse. The political acrimony represents another serious division with less than three weeks to go before a federal funding lapse triggers a partial shutdown. The number of senior posts held up in a political showdown is expected to more than double by year's end. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday retired on Monday with his replacement's confirmation stalled in an ongoing political fight. The plan calls for roughly $320 billion in veterans program and benefits spending next fiscal year. More than 250 senior military confirmations are stalled in the Senate over a abortion policy fight. More than 250 military promotions and nominations have been stalled over objections to the military's abortion access rules. Load More