FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Marnee Banks, 202-604-5521
Isakson, Tester Applaud Committee Approval of Dr. David Shulkin as VA Secretary
Committee votes 15-0 to send nomination to full Senate
WASHINGTON
– U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., the
chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee
on Veterans’ Affairs, today applauded the bipartisan committee approval
of David Shulkin, M.D., to be secretary of the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA).
Following
today’s unanimous committee vote of 15-0, the nomination now moves to
the full Senate for a vote. Isakson and Tester support a swift Senate
vote to confirm Shulkin as VA secretary.
“As I stated in last week’s confirmation hearing, I believe Dr. David Shulkin is the right person to head up the VA,” said
Isakson. “His prior
experience will prove indispensable when making the reforms necessary to
the Veterans Choice Program and the appeals process, among other
critical priorities. Today’s unanimous committee vote signals the broad,
bipartisan support that
I hope we can look forward to in his confirmation by the full Senate.”
“Dr.
Shulkin has committed to fixing the Choice Program and getting our
veterans timely access to the quality care they have earned,”
said Tester.
“I look forward to working with Dr. Shulkin and will hold him
accountable to the pledges he made during the confirmation process. I
believe Dr. Shulkin’s bipartisan support
from the committee is indicative of the vote he’ll receive on the
Senate floor, and I am calling on Senate leaders to confirm him in a
timely fashion.”
Isakson chaired a
committee hearing to consider the nomination of
Shulkin to be secretary of the VA on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.
During
the hearing, Shulkin, who has served as under secretary for health at
the VA since July 2015, pledged to work with Congress on reforms to the
Veterans Choice Program and to improve accountability
at the VA.
Amid
concerns from veterans’ advocacy groups and members of Congress,
Shulkin also pledged that he will not seek to privatize the VA or divert
additional
resources away from VA facilities.
Prior to his VA service, Shulkin spent nearly two decades as a hospital administrator in the private sector.
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