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White House: Obama Would Sign Bill to Let Mattis Run Defense Department
Friday, January 13, 2017 01:17 PM
The White House says President Barack Obama will sign legislation allowing retired Gen. James Mattis to run the Pentagon if Congress passes it before Obama leaves office.
The House is expected to pass a measure Friday relating to President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of defense. The Senate passed it easily on Thursday and it enjoys broad Republican support.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama wouldn't prevent that legislation from becoming law.
The legislation grants a one-time exception to the law that bars former service members who have been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the top Pentagon job. The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military.
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http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/US-Congress-The-Latest/2017/01/13/id/768443/
