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![handle is hein.congrecreports/crptxsrf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: AUT-ENTICATED
US. GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
GP
115TH CONGRESS REPORT
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 115-13
TO PROVIDE FOR AN EXCEPTION TO A LIMITATION AGAINST APPOINT-
MENT OF PERSONS AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS
OF RELIEF FROM ACTIVE DUTY AS A REGULAR COMMISSIONED OFFI-
CER OF THE ARMED FORCES
FEBRUARY 16, 2017.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State
of the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. THORNBERRY, from the Committee on Armed Services,
submitted the following
REPORT
[To accompany H.R. 393]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Armed Services, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 393) to provide for an exception to a limitation against ap-
pointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of
relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the
Armed Forces, having considered the same, report favorably there-
on without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
The purpose of this legislation is to authorize the President to
appoint General James N. Mattis, USMC (Ret.), as Secretary of De-
fense. The legislation authorizes the President to nominate and, by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint, an indi-
vidual as Secretary of Defense who is within 3 years of relief from
Active Duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of
the Armed Forces. The legislation applies only to the first person
appointed after enactment. At the date of introduction of the legis-
lation, President-elect Donald J. Trump had announced his inten-
tion to nominate General Mattis as Secretary of Defense.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
In 1947, Congress created the position of Secretary of Defense as
part of the National Security Act of 1947 (Public Law 80-253).
Public Law 80-253 required that the Secretary of Defense be ap-
pointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, but it made ineligible for appointment
any person who had been on Active Duty as a commissioned officer
69-006](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.congrecreports/crptxsrf0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)