Senators Block Nomination Over Swastika, Noose Policy

Two Democratic senators have blocked a vote to promote Adm. Kevin Lunday to run the Coast Guard, citing a new harassment policy that no longer explicitly labels swastikas and nooses as hate symbols. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Jacky Rosen placed holds on Lunday's nomination after the Coast Guard implemented a revised workplace harassment manual this week, the Washington Post reports. The updated guidance reclassifies certain imagery, including swastikas and nooses, from clear hate symbols to "potentially divisive" and allows supervisors to review their use rather than banning them outright. The previous manual treated swastikas, nooses, and Confederate flags as presumptive hate incidents.

The change conflicts with a November directive from Lunday, who had suspended the earlier manual and ordered a strict prohibition on such symbols after the Post first reported on the planned revisions. In a statement on social media, Rosen said she'll maintain her hold until the service explains what happened. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin accused the senators of trying to "extort" the Coast Guard and said they were exploiting concerns about antisemitism for "cheap political points." Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan has also pressed Lunday to reaffirm that the Coast Guard will not tolerate swastikas, nooses, or similar symbols.