McCain threatens to block nominees over Army waiver report
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is again threatening to hold up Pentagon nominees, this time over a news report about the Army granting mental health waivers to recruits.
At issue is a USA Today report that said the Army has lifted a ban on issuing waivers for recruits with a history of self-harm, bipolar disorder, depression or drug and alcohol abuse.
McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his committee was not notified of the policy change prior to the article, an issue the senator has railed against for months.
“It's a problem that, frankly, that this committee is having with the administration,” McCain said during a hearing Tuesday. “We should've been told about this before it showed up in a USA Today article. The Army did not respond to a question of how many waivers, if any, have been issued since the policy was changed.”
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/360310-mccain-threatens-to-block-nominees-over-army-waiver-report