Mattis to testify at two Thursday hearings

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis will have a busy Thursday.

Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Defense Department, will first attend a Jan. 12 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing specifically on his nomination at 9:30 a.m.

Following that, he will cross the Capitol to attend a House Armed Services Committee hearing at 2:30 p.m. that will consider granting him a waiver to serve as defense secretary because he has been out of the military for only three years. Current law prevents military leaders from serving as defense secretary until they have spent at least seven years out of uniform.