U.S. House set to back waiver allowing Austin to serve as defense secretary

The majority of the U.S. House of Representatives backed a waiver on Thursday that will allow Lloyd Austin to serve as President Joe Biden's secretary of defense, despite having retired as an Army general in 2016.

Voting continued on waiving a provision of a law on civilian control of the U.S. military that requires a seven-year wait after retirement before active-duty military can lead the Department of Defense.