Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown says the Trump administration cost the VA and veterans valuable time through the firing of former VA Secretary David Shulkin and botched attempt to name his replacement, Dr. Ronny Jackson.
“It’s leaderless now, there’s a morale problem. There is anxiety in the work force. Veterans don’t know what’s going to happen. There are 9 million veterans affected and government’s got to do its job here. The White House has to do its job and the Senate has to do its job.”
Brown, a Democrat, sits on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Before Jackson withdrew his nomination, Brown had planned to push him on GOP efforts to privatize veterans’ heathcare and Jackson’s lack of experience running an agency.
Jackson, who has been White House physician for Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, withdrew his nomination this morning amid a flurry of allegations of personal misconduct. Brown acknowledged the Obama administration may have missed important clues about Jackson’s fitness.
