The White House has named a new acting secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department while Robert Wilkie traverses the confirmation process.
Peter O’Rourke, previously VA chief of staff, began the job as of Tuesday, according to a statement from the White House.
Wilkie made the jump from the Defense Department to become acting secretary of the VA in March after President Trump fired David Shulkin. Trump made a surprise announcement about Wilkie’s nomination during a White House meeting on prison reform earlier this month.
In the meantime, Wilkie has returned to his prior position at the Department of Defense, where he serves as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, according to a statement from the VA Department on Wednesday.
The agency also revealed that Thomas Bowman, the VA deputy secretary, is re-entering retirement on June 15.
“VA is thankful for Mr. Bowman’s dedication and commitment in serving our Veterans as Deputy Secretary. His contributions over the past year have been instrumental in helping VA achieve its legislative priorities,” the department said.
