S. 4138 (119th)Bill Overview

Waive the 60-day notice requirement for the posthumous honorary promotion of Captain Cody Khork, United States Army.

Armed Forces and National Security|Armed Forces and National SecurityConflicts and wars
Cosponsors
Support
Lean Republican
Introduced
Mar 18, 2026
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageIntroduced

Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief

This bill waives the 60‑day notice requirement in 10 U.S.C. 1563a(b) to permit a posthumous honorary promotion for Captain Cody Khork, United States Army, elevating him to the rank of major.

The waiver applies only to this individual promotion.

The Senate passed the measure by unanimous consent March 18, 2026.

Passage90/100

Highly likely given narrow, symbolic nature and minimal fiscal or policy impact; routine administrative execution expected.

CredibilityAligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly targeted administrative waiver that is clear in purpose and precisely cites existing law. It provides the minimal statutory change needed to enable the posthumous honorary promotion.

Contention5/100

Progressives emphasize symbolic honor plus call for veteran policy reforms

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Who this appears to help vs burden50% / 50%
CommunitiesTargeted stakeholders
Likely helped
  • Targeted stakeholdersAllows immediate formal recognition of Captain Khork's service without waiting a statutorily required 60 days.
  • CommunitiesProvides symbolic closure and public acknowledgment for the service member's family and community.
  • Targeted stakeholdersMay improve morale by demonstrating Congress can expedite honors for fallen service members.
Likely burdened
  • Targeted stakeholdersCreates a narrow exception that could be cited as precedent for waiving statutory requirements.
  • Targeted stakeholdersBypasses a statutory safeguard, potentially undermining the uniform application of personnel procedures.
  • Targeted stakeholdersRaises fairness concerns because the waiver applies to a single named individual only.
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Progressives emphasize symbolic honor plus call for veteran policy reforms
Progressive95%

Likely supportive as a symbolic honor for a fallen service member while noting broader veteran care needs.

Views it as a narrow, low‑cost act of respect, though systemic reforms remain important.

Leans supportive
Centrist90%

Pragmatically supportive because it is narrowly tailored, low‑cost, and honors a service member.

Wants assurance the waiver follows legal standards and avoids unintended consequences.

Leans supportive
Conservative100%

Strongly supportive as an appropriate, respectful recognition of military service and sacrifice.

Sees rapid, symbolic action as consistent with honoring the armed forces.

Leans supportive
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Still ahead

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood90/100

Highly likely given narrow, symbolic nature and minimal fiscal or policy impact; routine administrative execution expected.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • Whether the House will schedule and prioritize the measure
  • Absence of a public cost estimate or implementation timeline
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Progressives emphasize symbolic honor plus call for veteran policy reforms

Highly likely given narrow, symbolic nature and minimal fiscal or policy impact; routine administrative execution expected.

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly targeted administrative waiver that is clear in purpose and precisely cites existing law. It provides the minimal statutory change needed to enable the…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

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