President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs appeared before Capitol Hill lawmakers for the first time Wednesday and outlined his priorities for the massive federal agency if he is confirmed by the Senate.
Denis McDonough previously served as former President Barack Obama's White House chief of staff and as his deputy national security adviser, including during the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. McDonough was credited with helping Obama attempt to bridge divides in Congress, including for the Veterans Choice Act, which opened more opportunities for veterans to seek care outside VA paid for by the department. Since then, the expired Choice Act has been replaced by the Mission Act, signed into law by former President Donald Trump.
Related
McDonough said his top priorities will be providing veterans "timely, word-class healthcare" and "timely access to their benefits" as well as "honoring our veterans with their final resting place and lasting tributes to their service."
At the same time, McDonough said the president asked him to specifically focus on five major issues facing VA, the second-largest federal department and the largest healthcare system in the country.
Biden asked McDonough to focus on:
- Getting veterans through the pandemic;
- Helping veterans "build civilian lives of opportunity" through education and job training;
- Ensure that VA welcomes all veterans, "including women veterans, veterans of color and LGBTQ veterans;"
- Work to eliminate veteran homelessness and reduce veteran suicide;
- "Keeping faith with our families and caregivers."
During the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, Chairman Jon Tester, D-Montana, and ranking member Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, both said they support McDonough's nomination, along with other members of the committee. Tester said a vote from the committee on McDonough's nomination could come as soon as Feb. 2, paving the way for final approval on the Senate floor.
McDonough vowed to "work tirelessly to rebuild trust and restore VA as the premier agency" for veteran care.
Related
"After all, there is no more sacred obligation nor noble undertaking than to uphold our promises to our veterans, whether they came home decades ago or days ago," he said.
One thing McDonough does not have is a direct tie to military service, something critics have questioned.
"It is true that I am not a veteran. But in my years of my public service, I have had a privilege afforded to relatively few Americans: I’ve seen up close – and been deeply moved by -- the excellence, talents and dedication of our men and women in uniform," he told members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, describing visiting service members in Afghanistan and Iraq, spending time with the wounded and visiting Dover Air Force Base, where fallen troops return home.
"Most of all, like every American, I owe a profound debt of gratitude to those who have worn the cloth of our nation," McDonough said. "It would be a tremendous honor to serve our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors by leading the VA — to ensure our nation serves them as well as they have served us."
As McDonough moves through the process to be confirmed as VA secretary, the Biden administration named a new acting secretary to replace Trump's VA chief, Robert Wilkie.
Related
Acting Secretary Dat P. Tran previously served as principal deputy assistant secretary for enterprise integration at VA. Tran has also served as deputy assistant secretary for data governance and analysis at VA, and has more than a decade of experience leading data analytics and statistics at the department, according to his biographical information on the VA website.
—
Reach Abbie Bennett: abbie@connectingvets.com or @AbbieRBennett.
Sign up for the Connecting Vets weekly newsletter to get more stories like this delivered to your inbox.