Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee, today released the following statement after the Senate’s confirmation of Robert Wilkie as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:
“I am deeply concerned about the many controversial positions that Robert Wilkie has supported. However, now that he has been confirmed, we must work together to put veterans’ needs first. I fully expect him to uphold the VA’s mission to serve all veterans – not pursue ideologically motivated policies opposed by our nation’s veterans service organizations.
“It’s been more than 100 days since the Department of Veterans Affairs has had a permanent Secretary. Moving forward, it is imperative that Mr. Wilkie and President Trump prioritize filling the many other high-level vacancies at the Department, including Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary for Health. We cannot continue to let these positions languish unfilled, while our veterans wait for the much-needed reforms Congress has mandated to be implemented. From the executive suite to the front lines of care, this vacant VA is undermining the service our heroes deserve.”
Issues: 115th Congress, Veterans' Affairs