
Congress on Thursday voted to approve a waiver that would allow Ret. Gen. Lloyd Austin to serve as the next Secretary of Defense, paving the way for a Senate confirmation vote. Both chambers had bipartisan support to grant an exemption for Austin, who has not been out of the military for the required seven years, with the House and Senate voting 326 to 78 and 69 to 27, respectively. “Today the House sent a clear message: Secretary-designate Austin is an…