Full Senate approves Mattis waiver

The Senate voted 81-17 to approve a change to existing law that would allow retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to serve as defense secretary, despite having not been out of uniform for at least seven years. Mattis has been retired three years.

The House is scheduled to vote tomorrow on the measure, called a “waiver” by many.

Meanwhile, the House Armed Services Committee was meeting during the time of the Senate vote to debate whether or not Mattis ought to be granted the waiver.

Many Democrats, including Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the committee's ranking member, oppose the waiver because President-elect Donald Trump's transition team prohibited Mattis from testifying before the House Armed Services Committee.

The House Armed Services Committee voted 34-28 along party lines to grant Mattis the waiver.