{"id":34230,"date":"2018-03-14T18:50:33","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T18:50:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/14\/lawmakers-worry-that-va-leadership-drama-could-derail-plans-for-department-reforms\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:54:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:54:29","slug":"lawmakers-worry-that-va-leadership-drama-could-derail-plans-for-department-reforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/03\/14\/lawmakers-worry-that-va-leadership-drama-could-derail-plans-for-department-reforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmakers worry that VA leadership drama could derail plans for department reforms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Lawmakers on Wednesday said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/02\/18\/who-is-in-charge-at-the-department-of-veterans-affairs\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">uncertainty surrounding the Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a> leadership is now interfering with legislative goals for veterans reforms, potentially hurting a year\u2019s worth of progress on the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe disfunction of this administration has now bled over into VA, and I am very, very, very concerned,\u201d Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, ranking member of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, said during a Capitol Hill hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd it is jeopardizing the ability of VA to be able to serve you, our nation\u2019s veterans. This is very disturbing to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the last month, VA Secretary David Shulkin has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/03\/07\/va-secretary-promises-more-leadership-changes-following-another-rebuke-from-investigators\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">entangled in a series of controversies<\/a> over his leadership at the department and his standing with White House officials. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/02\/14\/va-secretary-promises-to-go-along-with-ig-recommendations-despite-disagreements\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">inspector general report<\/a> harshly criticizing a 10-day European trip both raised questions about accountability at VA and helped make public internal agency divisions on a host of policy issues.<\/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\/02\/18\/who-is-in-charge-at-the-department-of-veterans-affairs\/\" 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=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_8039.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\">Who is in charge at the Department of Veterans Affairs?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Since a travel scandal broke on Wednesday, VA leadership has been embroiled in internal political fights that could result in the ousting of more top department leaders.<\/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\">White House officials have told veterans groups that Shulkin\u2019s job is safe for now, but an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/03\/14\/trump-considers-ousting-his-va-secretary-in-cabinet-shuffle\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Associated Press report Tuesday<\/a> noted rumors that President Donald Trump was considering replacing Shulkin with Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Perry and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth \u2014 another name rumored as a replacement \u2014 were considered for the job before Shulkin\u2019s nomination in January 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perry told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he had no interest in taking over Shulkin\u2019s job, calling the reports \u201cfake news.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Wednesday\u2019s hearing, House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee ranking member Tim Walz, D-Minn., quipped that lawmakers and veterans groups \u201cwoke up this morning and don\u2019t know by the end of the day who our VA secretary will be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He called the administration drama an unfortunate distraction to \u201ccritically important work\u201d before Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is a commitment from us in stability in the VA, in culture in the VA, in leadership in VA,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get this right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, Congress passed nine significant pieces of veterans-themed legislation, including new accountability rules for department employees and an overhaul of how veterans\u2019 benefits appeals cases are handled. Shulkin was involved in most of that work, and frequently hailed publicly by Trump for the progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest veterans issue before lawmakers now \u2014 and one of the behind-the-scenes fights within the administration \u2014 pertains to the overhaul of numerous VA community care programs into a single, more flexible, easier-to-use system allowing some veterans to see private sector doctors for a variety of ailments and injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both the House and Senate have multi-billion-dollar plans under consideration that would ease eligibility rules for the outside care but still keep a critical management role in place for VA administrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conservative groups and some political appointees within the White House have complained the idea doesn\u2019t live up to Trump\u2019s past promises of full \u201cchoice\u201d for veterans, and have pushed for even more freedom for medical appointments outside the existing VA system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But a bipartisan coalition on Capitol Hill is pushing for the existing plan to move ahead, with the possibility of it being attached to the upcoming budget omnibus or other critical pending legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"349\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17174602289340.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-59566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17174602289340.jpg.jpg 512w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17174602289340.jpg.jpg?resize=300,204 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump, right, standing with Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, left, recognizes someone in the audience as he speaks during a bill signing event for the &#8220;Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017,&#8221; in the East Room of the White House on June 23, 2017. (Susan Walsh\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, R-Geogia, and House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Chairman Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, said they are open to the idea, and negotiations are ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those negotiations had been focused on the nuances of the legislation in recent months, with debate over issues like how many private-sector medical appointments veterans could have paid for before additional authorizations were needed from VA managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, the conversation has mostly centered on whether the White House may make sudden changes at VA which could affect how the new legislation is implemented if it\u2019s signed into law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tester said he is uncomfortable negotiating with the White House on the massive overhaul if it\u2019s not clear who is in charge at VA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe president needs to decide if he sides with Secretary Shulkin to do his job, or whether he will side with political interests,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to know who is calling the shots.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shulkin in recent weeks has complained publicly that some officials within his department \u2014 including some of his own communications staff \u2014 have worked to oust him from his Cabinet post. But during the last few weeks of controversy, the only individual forced out of the department was Shulkin\u2019s former chief of staff, who retired abruptly three days after the inspector general\u2019s report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most lawmakers have been publicly supportive of Shulkin\u2019s performance at VA, but Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colorado, has called for his resignation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, veterans groups are worried that uncertainty surrounding Shulkin\u2019s job will derail a host of VA improvement efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe gossip chain is dragging him down,\u201d said Louis Celli, director of the American Legion\u2019s Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation program. \u201cWe\u2019re afraid the secretary is in jeopardy of death by 1,000 cuts, even though when you look at the job he is doing, everything is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celli said his organization is imploring lawmakers to push ahead with the community care overhaul and other important priorities, given that White House officials have given no clear public indication that Shulkin\u2019s job is imperiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shulkin, who fielded media questions about his job security during a press conference last week, will likely face similar questions during a series of upcoming appearances before lawmakers in the next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VA secretary is scheduled to speak on Trump\u2019s fiscal 2019 budget plan before the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday morning and the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee on March 21.<\/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\">I really hope that <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@POTUS<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@realDonaldTrump<\/a> finally fires <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DeptVetAffairs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DeptVetAffairs<\/a> Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecShulkin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SecShulkin<\/a> as he will never clean up the incompetence and corruption at the VA. As the only Member who has made this call, our VETS deserve better!!  <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/FireShulkin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FireShulkin<\/a> now.<\/p>&mdash; Mike Coffman (@RepMikeCoffman) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepMikeCoffman\/status\/973681832830144512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 13, 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>Rumors that the White House may be looking to replace VA Secretary David Shulkin are influencing ongoing debate over a major overhaul to VA health care programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":66973,"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":[101,12,26,19,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-34230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-veterans","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"HJYRS7PDWNFAFA6IMR6GYQ5DRM","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2018\/03\/14\/lawmakers-worry-that-va-leadership-drama-could-derail-plans-for-department-reforms\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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