House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that Democrats won’t oppose a stopgap spending bill over language that would expedite a vote next year for legislation allowing retired Gen. James Mattis to become secretary of defense.
“That will not be an obstacle,” Pelosi told reporters Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Pelosi warned Republicans not to include an actual waiver for Mattis in the spending bill. The version of the bill that came out doesn’t include a waiver, and instead just creates a process to speed along waiver legislation next year.
Mattis, a retired Marine general, left the service three years ago. Under current law, a seven-year gap is required to serve in President-elect Trump’s Cabinet. Legislation planned for next year would reduce it to three for Mattis so he can serve.
Pelosi called the language in the four-month funding deal “a compromise” between Republicans and Democrats. Pelosi said Democrats agreed to the language in part because they have high regard for Trump’s choice of Mattis, “compared to other people he has put forward,” for cabinet positions.
Despite Pelosi’s statements, however, Senate Democrats have indicated they aren’t as pleased with the proposal, and some said language easing Mattis’ confirmation in the Senate shouldn’t be in the CR.
More broadly, Pelosi said she is “diagnosing what is in,” the spending deal, which keeps the government funded until April 28, but suggested Democrats would likely back it, “as long as it does no harm.”
The House and Senate are expected to vote on the spending bill Thursday and Friday before adjourning for the year.
