UPDATE: Senate confirms Pentagon official Robert Wilkie to lead VA
Last edited Mon Jul 23, 2018, 07:06 PM - Edit history (2)
Source: Washington Post
The Senate easily confirmed Robert Wilkie on Monday as the 10th secretary of Veterans Affairs, elevating the top Pentagon official and Washington insider to lead an agency that serves a key constituency for President Trump but has floundered amid political infighting.
The 86-to-9 bipartisan vote, with Democrats casting nearly all of the no votes, was without the drama of other Cabinet confirmations in the Trump administration. Wilkie was able to convince many Democrats that he would not privatize the agency. But Wilkie became the first VA secretary to fail to receive unanimous Senate confirmation, a reflection of the political tensions in what has long been a bipartisan corner of the government.
Several of the opposing votes, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) came from potential candidates for president in 2020 who have opposed other Trump Cabinet nominees.
The president, in a statement issued by the White House, said Wilkie has “dedicated his life to serving his country with honor and pride. He has displayed great patriotism and a commitment to supporting and empowering America’s armed forces and veterans. Under his leadership, I have no doubt that the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to make strides in honoring and protecting the heroic men and women who have served our Nation with distinction.”
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-confirms-pentagon-official-robert-wilkie-to-lead-va/2018/07/23/c3683110-8e97-11e8-b769-e3fff17f0689_story.html
Full original title & article:
by Washington Post Staff July 23 at 6:13 PM
The Senate easily confirmed Wilkie, now head of military personnel at the Defense Department, to lead an agency that serves a key constituency for President Trump.
Wilkie was nominated as secretary in May to succeed Shulkin, a hospital executive and holdover from the Obama administration.
Trump had initially nominated White House physician Ronny Jackson, but his candidacy faltered amid misconduct allegations.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/23/veterans-affairs-nominee-robert-wilkie-is-confirmed-by-the-senate-to-succeed-david-shulkin-who-clashed-with-the-trump-white-house/?utm_term=.2a43158b99c7
Edit to add - the vote was 86 - 9 to confirm.
Link to tweet
TEXT
Senate Cloakroom
✔
@SenateCloakroom
Confirmed, 86-9: Exec. Cal. #1000 Robert Wilkie to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs @DeptVetAffairs
6:08 PM - Jul 23, 2018
= new reply since forum marked as read
who was basically a staff physician who had never overseen large components of any huge organization like DOD. Remember that the VA is not just a "medical operation" (my dad used to work for the VA before it became a department). It also handles benefits checks, survivor's checks and a myriad of other programs.
As I was always told working for the government, there is a difference between a "manager" and a "supervisor". He is at the "manager" level and they are supposed to direct their underlings to implement the administration's "vision". 
I don't get it either--not only the 5 deferments, but being perfectly A-OK with privatization.
Why don't vets get it--donnie wants to wreck the VA and, like other pukes, cut benefits?
???????
