Off To The Races....

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http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/...s-fee-fees

Republicans threatening to shut down government to ram through Trump's defense secretary nomination

Donald Trump says he’ll nominate retired Marine Corps General James Mattis as his secretary of defense, but as we’ve explained previously, there’s a huge problem with this proposal: A 70-year-old federal law forbids anyone who has served on active duty in the armed forces in the last seven years from holding a senior defense post. This rule is crucial for maintaining civilian control of the military, and Mattis is thus ineligible, since he only retired three years ago.
But Republicans in Congress are, of course, only too happy to let the Trump steamroller mash them to bits and are eager to amend the law so that Mattis can become defense secretary. This custom “waiver” would have to pass both houses of Congress, and Democrats, led by New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, have promised to filibuster it.
So how has the GOP responded? Once again, they’re threatening to shut down the government.