On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Doug Collins, a former Congressman, to take the helm of the Department of Veterans Affairs, marking a notable bipartisan achievement with a vote tally of 77 in favor and only 23 against. This vote placed Collins among the most broadly supported nominees by the Senate for former President Donald Trump's cabinet, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio achieved a unanimous confirmation.
Collins, who served in Congress from 2013 until 2021, is an Air Force Reserve chaplain and was a staunch defender of Trump during the impeachment proceedings in 2019. His nomination passed through the Veterans' Affairs Committee with overwhelming support, the only dissenting vote coming from Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii. As he takes on the challenging role at an organization with approximately 400,000 employees and over 1,300 facilities, he will face issues such as budget constraints, previous improper executive payouts, and long waiting times that have frustrated veterans seeking care.
Upon his confirmation, Collins acknowledged the monumental task ahead of him, stressing that the existing issues within the VA, such as veterans having to seek assistance from lawmakers to access their entitled services, symbolize institutional failures. He emphasized that his priority would not be to sacrifice veterans' care for the sake of budget cuts, declaring his commitment to ensure that the benefits of veterans are not compromised.
Collins expressed his agreement with Trump regarding veterans having options in their healthcare decisions, referring to the Mission Act that allowed for greater flexibility in choosing between VA services and private care. When pressed by Democratic senators about the risks of privatizing the VA, Collins humorously pledged not to do so with a "pinky swear," reinforcing his commitment to maintaining the integrity of the VA while exploring community care options for veterans.
5 Comments
Donatello
I trust Collins to bring his experience from Congress to help solve the VA's ongoing issues.
Michelangelo
Great to see such a strong vote in favor! I believe Collins can unite both sides to improve veterans' care.
Raphael
How can we believe his commitments to veterans when his track record is all politics?
Leonardo
Collins' humor and transparency in addressing privatization fears show he’s committed to keeping the VA intact.
Michelangelo
77 votes in favor? Most senators just wanted to get this over with without taking real responsibility!