Robert Wilkie, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, was approved in a Senate committee on Tuesday, setting up a final confirmation vote that could happen in a matter of days.
The Veterans’ Affairs Committee gave bipartisan approval in voting for the confirmation of Wilkie.
“As I stated at his confirmation hearing, Mr. Wilkie is a respected, talented nominee for VA secretary, and I believe he is the right person to lead the VA,” Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said. “Mr. Wilkie has the expertise and the positive attitude to take on challenges that lie ahead, and he will prove indispensable in helping transform the VA. Today’s committee vote signals the broad, bipartisan support that I hope we can look forward to in his confirmation by the full Senate. I urge my colleagues to support his nomination, and I hope the Senate will act quickly to fill this important position and bring stability and leadership to the VA. Our veterans deserve no less.”
The committee’s ranking Democrat Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said after Wilkie’s confirmation hearing that he supported his nomination.
At least one lawmaker, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., requested to be recorded as a “no” vote for Wilkie’s nomination, according to reports.
Senate Veterans Affairs Cmte favorably reported out Robert Wilkie’s VA Secretary nomination to full Senate by voice vote. Senator Sanders requested to be recorded as voting No.
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) July 10, 2018
The Department of Veterans Affairs has not had permanent leadership since late March when the previous secretary, David Shulkin, was fired by Trump over Twitter.
If confirmed, Wilkie will oversee the second largest federal department, which has a 360,000-person workforce. But it also has a recent history of scandal, including one involving long waits for veterans before they were able to access health services at the VA, and the inability to fire officials who were seen as blocking improvements to the system.
Congress has passed several bills aimed at speeding up the process of bringing accountability to the department.
Wilkie, a former assistant defense secretary under George W. Bush, has been acting secretary of the VA since Shulkin was ousted, and became Trump’s pick on May 15 after his previous pick, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, withdrew his name from consideration.
Shortly after become acting secretary, Wilkie posted a video message in April to his staff members.
“We must have a bottom-up organization. The energy must flow from you who are closest to those we are sworn to serve,” Wilkie said. “Anyone who sits in this chair and tells you he has the answers is in the wrong business.”
Jackson’s nomination collapsed amid reports about questionable travel expenses and criticism over poor care at multiple VA health centers. Jackson, who was the White House physician under George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and the first year of the Trump administration, withdrew his name from consideration after multiple reports of misconduct emerged.
