Senate confirms Trump's VA pick despite opposition from some Dems

By Jordain Carney - 07/23/18 06:39 PM EDT
Senate confirms Trump's VA pick despite opposition from some Dems
© Greg Nash

The Senate easily cleared President TrumpDonald John TrumpAverage tax refunds down double-digits, IRS data shows White House warns Maduro as Venezuela orders partial closure of border with Colombia Trump administration directs 1,000 more troops to Mexican border MORE's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Monday. 

Senators voted 86-9 on Robert Wilkie's nomination to be the VA secretary. 
 
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The nine "no" votes make Wilkie the first VA secretary to have senators vote against their nomination since the post was elevated to a Cabinet-level position in 1989.
 
Trump applauded the vote on Twitter:Wilkie's confirmation gives the VA its first Senate-confirmed secretary since Trump fired David ShulkinDavid Jonathon ShulkinIs a presidential appointment worth the risk? It’s time to end the scare tactics and get to work for our veterans House Democrats open investigation of Trump associates' influence at VA MORE in March amid months of controversy over allegations of misusing taxpayer funds. 
 
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“I am confident that Robert Wilkie is the right leader because he has the expertise, the judgement and the character to take on the challenges that lie ahead and will bring stability and leadership to the VA. I look forward to working with him to help transform the VA into a department worthy of our veterans," Sen. Johnny IsaksonJohn (Johnny) Hardy IsaksonOn The Money: Lawmakers wait for Trump verdict on border deal | Trump touts deal as offering B for security | McConnell presses Trump to sign off | National debt tops T | Watchdog details IRS shutdown woes Trump criticizes border wall deal: 'Can't say I'm happy' GOP senators offer praise for Klobuchar: 'She’s the whole package' MORE (R-Ga.) said after the vote. 

 
Trump announced Shulkin's firing in a tweet on March 28 and tapped White House physician Ronny Jackson to be his successor.
 
But Jackson withdrew his nomination in April amid a firestorm of accusations of professional misconduct that publicly surfaced days before his confirmation hearing, including allegations that he provided a “large supply” of opioid painkillers to a White House military staffer. Jackson called the allegations "false and fabricated." 

By comparison, Wilkie's nomination was relatively drama-free.

Questions were temporarily raised about his nomination when The Washington Post reported that Wilkie has worked throughout his career for polarizing lawmakers and officials, whose controversial views he has defended.
 
 
Wilkie was subsequently approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee in a near-unanimous vote. 
 
Wilkie previously ran military personnel policy at the Pentagon for the Trump administration before serving as acting VA secretary. He stepped down as acting VA secretary after being nominated for secretary.
 
The VA has been under the congressional microscope since a 2014 scandal that found department clinics across the country were manipulating data to downplay how long a veteran had been waiting for a health-care appointment.
 
 
As Trump's new VA secretary, Wilkie will find himself at the center of a fight over privatization that spun out of the 2014 scandal. 
 
Wilkie told the Veterans' Affairs Committee during his hearing that he would push back on privatization even if it ran counter to the White House's stance. 
 
"My commitment to you is I will oppose efforts to privatize," Wilkie said, adding that while the VA should be "central" to veterans' health care there was room for balance with private providers. 
 
Shulkin's ouster in March reignited speculation that the White House wanted to expand veterans' access to private-sector health-care providers. Shulkin also blamed his firing on forces within the administration who he said are pushing hard for greater privatization.
 
—Updated at 9:39 p.m.
Tags Kirsten Gillibrand Dianne Feinstein Elizabeth Warren Johnny Isakson Bernie Sanders David Shulkin Eric Shinseki Kamala Harris Donald Trump Jeff Merkley Cory Booker Jon Tester Ron Wyden Ed Markey