Full Senate Confirms Mattis As Defense Secretary

CBS News reports:

The Senate on Friday confirmed retired Gen. James Mattis as President Trump’s secretary of defense in an overwhelming vote. Lawmakers voted 98-1 in favor of Mattis, with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, as the lone senator opposing him. Mattis was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week in a 26-1 vote.

After Mr. Trump took the oath of office Friday afternoon, one of the measures that he signed was a waiver approved by Congress that allows Mattis to serve as the Pentagon’s chief, exempting him from a current law that limits the appointment of a defense secretary within seven years of relief from duty.

Gillibrand was also the lone dissenting committee vote. You may recall that during his confirmation hearing Mattis repeated evaded her questions about open LGBT military service.