{"id":22501,"date":"2018-07-10T19:02:41","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T19:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/07\/10\/for-the-first-time-a-senator-is-opposing-the-va-secretary-nominee\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:05:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:05:37","slug":"for-the-first-time-a-senator-is-opposing-the-va-secretary-nominee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2018\/07\/10\/for-the-first-time-a-senator-is-opposing-the-va-secretary-nominee\/","title":{"rendered":"For the first time, a senator is opposing the VA secretary nominee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/06\/27\/va-secretary-nominee-promises-more-medical-choices-for-vets-but-not-privatization\/\" title=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee<\/a> members on Tuesday voted to advance the nomination of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/06\/26\/senators-doubt-latest-controversies-will-derail-va-secretary-nomination\/\" title=\"\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover815159\">Robert Wilkie<\/a> to be the next secretary of Veterans Affairs, but the move came with a symbolic and historic opposition vote against the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The panel by voice vote sent Wilkie\u2019s nomination to the Senate floor, but with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., opposing the move. It\u2019s the first time in committee history that a member has voted against a VA secretary nominee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanders, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/2016\/02\/18\/bernie-sanders-senate-work-at-the-heart-of-va-s-latest-woes\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover172902\">the former chairman of the committee<\/a>, said he also intends to vote against Wilkie when his nomination comes to the full Senate for a vote. Since the department became a Cabinet-level agency in 1988, no senator has cast an opposition vote to the confirmation of a VA secretary nominee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis has less to do with Mr. Wilkie than President Trump,\u201d Sanders said following the vote. \u201cTrump has been very clear about his desire to move to the privatization of the VA, and I suspect any of his appointees will try and move the agency in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/11\/vets-groups-and-lawmakers-say-theyre-against-it-but-what-does-privatization-of-veterans-affairs-really-mean\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_13102205629.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Vets groups and lawmakers say they\u2019re against it \u2014 but what does \u2018privatization\u2019 of Veterans Affairs really mean?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The term will command much of the debate at the new VA secretary&#039;s confirmation hearing, but different groups have different definitions.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Privatization of VA has been a major point of controversy for the department in the last year. Former VA Secretary David Shulkin said it played a role in his firing in March, when he accused political operatives in the White House of working to undermine department health care by too aggressively pushing taxpayer funds into private-sector hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White House officials have called those accusations baseless, and said that providing more health care options inside and outside VA is critical to ensuring that veterans receive the best care possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-995450538.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-67993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-995450538.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-995450538.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-995450538.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a news conference regarding the separation of immigrant children at the U.S. Capitol on July 10, 2018, in Washington. (Alex Edelman\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his confirmation hearing last month, Wilkie repeatedly promised that he was opposed to privatization of the department, but also said that partnerships with doctors outside the federal system are critical for the reliability of the department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI believe in the centrality of VA to care,\u201d he said in response to a question from Sanders about privatization. \u201cThere are things that VA does that will never be replicated in the public sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we believe that the veteran is central, we can also make the argument that as long as VA is at the central node in his care \u2026 that reinforces the future of the VA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to another related question from Sanders, Wilkie this week issued a statement promising to push for \u201cproper funding\u201d for both VA facilities and outside, community care programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVA health care should be centered around what is best for that individual veteran and should be integrated, agile and adaptive,\u201d he said. \u201cIn some cases that requires VA medical facility care, and in other cases it requires community care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilkie, 55, is an Air Force Reserve colonel who previously spent time in the Navy Reserve. He currently works as the Pentagon\u2019s top personnel and readiness official, and served as the acting VA secretary for two months following the firing of Shulkin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He had received generally positive reviews from veterans groups and lawmakers before Tuesday. The committee\u2019s ranking member, Montana Democrat Jon Tester, offered his full support for the nominee shortly after the confirmation hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following Tuesday\u2019s vote, the White House issued a statement hailing Wilkie\u2019s \u201cstellar qualifications for this role\u201d and noting that the president \u201cremains committed to ensuring our nation\u2019s heroes receive the care they deserve.\u201d <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No timeline has been set for the full Senate vote on Wilkie\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If confirmed, Wilkie will be the 10th man to hold the permanent job in the last 30 years, and only the second to serve as both acting VA secretary and later as the permanent office holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mr. Wilkie is the right person to lead <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DeptVetAffairs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DeptVetAffairs<\/a> and will prove indispensable in transforming the VA. Today\u2019s favorable committee vote signals the broad, bipartisan support that I hope we can look forward to in his confirmation by the full Senate. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2gUNuyrkws\">https:\/\/t.co\/2gUNuyrkws<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Senate VA Republicans (@SVACGOP) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SVACGOP\/status\/1016756709623287819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 10, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before Tuesday, no senator had ever voted against a VA secretary nominee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":67992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":38,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[104,38,106,31,33,9],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3294],"class_list":["post-22501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acquisition-update","category-congress","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-newsletters","category-federal-oversight"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"QH7JTKB7ABFOTOISRENHCUFATY","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2018\/07\/10\/for-the-first-time-a-senator-is-opposing-the-va-secretary-nominee\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>For the first time, a senator is opposing the VA secretary nominee - Federal Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before Tuesday, no senator had ever voted against a VA secretary nominee.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For the first time, a senator is opposing the VA secretary nominee\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before Tuesday, no senator had ever voted against a VA secretary nominee.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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