{"id":13600,"date":"2020-02-03T18:32:10","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T18:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/03\/va-deputy-secretary-fired-after-loss-of-confidence\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:05:27","slug":"va-deputy-secretary-fired-after-loss-of-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/02\/03\/va-deputy-secretary-fired-after-loss-of-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"VA deputy secretary fired after \u2018loss of confidence\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/01\/16\/va-lawmakers-trade-barbs-after-sexual-assault-claim-from-congressional-staffer\/\" target=_blank>Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie<\/a> abruptly fired the second-highest department official on Monday, saying he had lost confidence in his ability to perform the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stunning leadership shakeup comes less than five months after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/04\/15\/after-nearly-a-year-trump-moves-to-fill-vas-second-highest-leadership-post\/\" target=_blank>James Byrne<\/a> was confirmed by the Senate for the VA deputy secretary job. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/opa\/pressrel\/pressrelease.cfm?id=5391\" target=_blank>two-sentence statement<\/a> announcing the change, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/09\/26\/wilkie-touts-a-calmer-reformed-va-in-his-first-congressional-test\/\" target=_blank>Wilkie gave no reason for his decision<\/a>. The move was first reported by Axios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byrne, a Naval Academy graduate who deployed overseas as a Marine infantry officer and later joined the Department of Justice as an international narcotics prosecutor, served as the acting deputy secretary for almost 13 months before his confirmation last September.<\/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\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/09\/11\/after-a-long-wait-va-finally-has-a-deputy-secretary\/\" 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=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/05-08-19-Byrne-Meeting1.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\">After a long wait, VA finally has a deputy secretary<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The confirmation of a new second-ranking official at the department took more than 14 months.<\/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\">The firing disrupts a recent stretch of leadership continuity at a department that has seen a host of firings and resignations in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byrne\u2019s predecessor, Thomas Bowman, was pressured out of the job a few months after the firing of former VA Secretary David Shulkin in March 2018. The department has had four different secretaries and four more acting secretaries in the last five years. VA\u2019s top health official post has been vacant since President Donald Trump took office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byrne was confirmed to the post by an 81-11 Senate vote. At the time, Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee ranking member Jon Tester, D-Mont., acknowledged that Byrne \u201chas ruffled feathers among some here\u201d in his dealings with Democratic lawmakers on implementation of the VA Mission Act and other department priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1500\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200px-James_Byrne_official_photo.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-31714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200px-James_Byrne_official_photo.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200px-James_Byrne_official_photo.jpg.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200px-James_Byrne_official_photo.jpg.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200px-James_Byrne_official_photo.jpg.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">VA Deputy Secretary James Byrne, who was fired from the post on Monday. (Photo courtesy of VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Tester said he supported Byrne because of his past work as acting deputy, and expressed confidence in his ability to serve in the permanent role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byrne also drew praise from numerous Republican senators on the committee and throughout the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his confirmation hearing, Byrne told lawmakers that he was \u201cextremely bullish\u201d on the future of VA and the changes that Wilkie has made since his appointment to the job in summer 2018.<\/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\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/12\/19\/as-staff-vacancies-at-va-rise-lawmaker-wants-answers-why\/\" 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=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6309339883_ed9eac154a_o.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\">As staff vacancies at VA rise, lawmaker wants answers why<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The number of open positions within the department rose about 3,000 over the last fiscal year.<\/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\">\u201cI believe in where we are going, and I am frankly very eager to be confirmed so I can continue to help the secretary implement these and other important initiatives on behalf of our veterans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to his Justice Department posts, Byrne worked as an investigator with the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction before leaving government to work for the Lockheed Martin Corporation for several years. Both his father and sons have also served in the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White House officials had no comment on the firing. No immediate announcement was made by VA officials on who will serve as the acting deputy in Byrne\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>James Byrne was confirmed to the second-highest VA spot less than five months ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":31710,"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":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,89,12,26,62,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-13600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"WCXWP5ZGWFDRVEZ4O2CTFE7JJY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/02\/03\/va-deputy-secretary-fired-after-loss-of-confidence\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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