Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today this Chamber will take an important step to ensure that we have leadership in the Department of Veterans Affairs to oversee the implementation of historic reforms that we passed in May to improve the VA's healthcare delivery system and provide veterans with more choices and fewer barriers to care. We will vote on the nomination of Robert Wilkie to serve as Secretary of the VA. Having served our Nation in uniform, as well as experiencing military life as the son of a wounded combat soldier, Robert Wilkie's extensive career in a wide range of defense and veterans issues makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the next Secretary of the VA. He clearly understands the complexities associated with serving our Nation and the importance of taking care of veterans. I am grateful for Robert Wilkie's willingness to serve as the next Secretary of the VA. I urge my colleagues to follow the example of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, which overwhelmingly advanced his nomination to the Senate in a bipartisan way. Having served as Acting Secretary of the VA, Robert Wilkie is well aware of the challenges facing the Department. Accepting responsibility to oversee the implementation of reforms passed by Congress, including the VA MISSION Act, to update its medical records system, to expand support for our women veterans, and to reduce the disability claims backlog, are just a few of those issues that he will need to tackle.…”