Unvetted and unacceptable
Whether the rumored personal flaws are true or not, Ronny Jackson shouldn’t be President Trump’s pick to run the Veterans Affairs Department. The agency, one of Washington’s biggest, demands a health care manager, not a personal favorite of the president.
Jackson’s selection was a quirky surprise from a president famous for impulsive actions. Trump is now even hinting that Jackson might drop out. The nominee is the official White House physician, a Navy rear admiral and Iraq veteran. In January, he surfaced into public view by giving a glowing report of Trump’s physical condition, suggesting he could live to 200 if he changed his diet. The president liked what he saw.
But Jackson’s background and a cheery appraisal don’t qualify him to run an institution that dispenses health care to millions of veterans, employs 360,000 and runs scores of hospitals, clinics and cemeteries on a $186 billion budget. It’s a job-killer
task with every member of Congress aware that any disruption swamps their phones and emails.
Jackson’s skimpy resume was already drawing bipartisan resistance from lawmakers who need to approve his nomination. That reluctance is growing with a Senate panel now delaying a hearing on his confirmation. The ranking members of the Veterans Affairs Committee are postponing a public review until they dig deeper into the nominee’s background, a clearing warning sign to the White House about the pick.
The rumors touch a range of troubling topics that include drinking, over prescription of drugs and a hostile work environment. More broadly, though, it’s a question over vetting the candidate’s background. That’s a necessary step that clearly hasn’t happened.
With most Trump nominees, there’s a near instant divide between Republican supporters and Democratic critics, a familiar lineup that’s taking place right now around Mike Pompeo, the president’s choice as secretary of state. But that standoff isn’t happening with Jackson so far. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is halting further consideration “in light of new information,’’ according to the top senators from both parties on the panel.
The task of running an enormous institution needs to go to a seasoned hand, a person who can manage of sprawling and essential institution. Adding to the complexity is Trump’s push to expand private care outside of the government-run agency. Jackson’s views aren’t known.
Privatization is one part of the mix, but a far larger question is why Jackson’s weak credentials and skimpy vetting have allowed him to get this far. His nomination should be withdrawn.