AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine Sen. Angus King announced today that he will support legislation allowing retired Gen. James Mattis to serves as secretary of defense.
A key hurdle facing the retired general in his nomination to the post is that current law requires a general or admiral to be out of the military for at least seven years before being eligible to serve in the position.
Both the House and Senate need to pass legislation to allow Mattis to serve. That will require at least 60 votes in the Senate.
During a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, King, an independent, said he will support the legislation. “I have decided to support this amendment because I don’t think it will make bad law because of the narrow way it is drafted.”
Several Democratic members of the House and Senate have announced they will oppose the legislation because they are worried about erosion of the principle of "civilian control" of the military.
King shares that concern, but says the proposed legislation would not change the underlying law requiring military officers to be retired for seven years before serving as secretary of defense.
“This section applies only to the first person appointed as secretary of defense as described in Subsection 8 after the date of this act and to no other person," King said. "That means it can’t even be used by another appointment of this president.”
