Trump chooses VA insider to lead troubled agency
WA S H I N G TO N — P r e s i - dent-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped the Depar t ment o f Ve t e r a ns Affairs’ top health official to lead a beleaguered agency struggling to meet the health needs of millions of veterans.
David Shulkin’s nomination signals a more modest approach to change at the VA after Trump repeatedly pledged an overhaul. During the presidential campaign, Trump described the VA as “the most corrupt agency” a n d “p ro b a b ly t h e most incompetently run agency.”
I f c o n f i r med , S hu l k i n would have the rare distinction of being an ex-Obama administration official serving in the Trump administration. He would also be the only VA head not to have served in the military.
Trump, who announced Shulkin’s selection at a news conference in New York, said he had interviewed at least 100 people for the job.
“Sadly our great veterans have not gotten the level of care they deserve, but Dr. Shulkin has the experience and the vision to ensure we will meet the health care needs of ever y veteran,” Trump said.
The c hoi c e i s l i ke l y t o soothe some of the largest veterans organizations and pave an easy path to confirmation in the Senate, where Shulkin was approved unanimously to be undersecretary of health in 2015. Veterans groups and Democrats have praised steps taken by VA Secretary Bob McDonald’s team and feared that other possible picks might push for greater privatization. Shulkin has supported closer ties with the private sector, but opposed full privatization.
As undersecretary, Shulkin manages a system responsible for 9 million military veterans in more than 1,700 facilities. He was charged with improving wait times for medical care following the 2014 scandal involving long waits at the Phoenix VA medical center.
“We are both eager to begin reforming the areas in our Veterans Affairs system that need critical attention, and do it in a swift, thoughtful and responsible way,” Shulkin said in a statement released by Trump’s transition team.
Shulkin would lead the government’s second-largest agency with nearly 370,000 employees and an annual budget of nearly $167 billion.
“We’re pleased with this decision,” said Joe Chenelly, national executive director of AMVETS. “We’ve been saying all along continuity is important at the VA, and Dr. Shulkin definitely understands the problems at the VA.”
Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said his group will have tough questions for Shulkin. It is concerned about the department being led by a nonveteran.
Dur i n g t h e c a mpai g n , Trump promised to “ensure every veteran has the choice to seek care at the VA, or at a private service provider of their own choice.”