WASHINGTON -- David Shulkin, President Donald Trump's nominee for veterans affairs secretary, offered repeated assurances Wednesday that he will work quickly to meet the medical care needs of millions of veterans without dismantling the beleaguered department.
At his confirmation hearing, Shulkin, a Veterans Affairs official since 2015, cited efforts during his tenure to improve wait times for veterans needing urgent care, such as same-day services in primary care and mental health at VA medical centers. He urged a more integrated VA network in which veterans could seek outside care, but only in close coordination with the department.
"VA is a unique national resource that is worth saving, and I am committed to doing just that," Shulkin said. "There will be far greater accountability, dramatically improved access, responsiveness and expanded care options."
Pressed repeatedly as to whether he may be pressured by Trump to privatize the agency, he told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee that he believed that VA hospitals offered unique services in treating battlefield injuries.
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"We share a common vision that we have to do a lot better for veterans," Shulkin said, adding that Trump set no preconditions when offering him the VA secretary job. "He knows I will follow my values."
The 57-year-old physician is expected to be easily confirmed by the Senate. A committee vote is expected as early as next week.
Shulkin would be the lone official from President Barack Obama's administration serving in Trump's Cabinet. As secretary, he would take over during a push to privatize government services.
"Sooner than later, you'll come to a crossroads. And you'll have to choose whether to pursue what you think is best for veterans, or what the president tells you is best for veterans," said Sen. Jon Tester, the top Democrat on the panel, who repeatedly grilled Shulkin about his views on Trump's hiring freeze in the federal government and willingness to consider privatization.
Diverging from Trump, who criticized the VA during the presidential campaign as "the most corrupt," Shulkin indicated that wide-scale firings aren't necessary. Trump wants to fire and discipline VA employees, have a commission investigate wrongdoing and create a 24-hour White House hotline to register complaints about the agency.
"VA has many dedicated employees across the country, and our veterans tell us that every day," Shulkin said.
As undersecretary of health for the agency, Shulkin has managed a system responsible for 9 million military veterans in more than 1,700 facilities. He was given responsibility for improving wait times for medical care after the 2014 scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center. Veterans waited months for care even as VA employees created secret waiting lists and other falsehoods to cover up delays.
But his tenure under former VA Secretary Bob McDonald wasn't always well-received. Recent reviews by the Government Accountability Office and The Associated Press separately found limited progress in improving wait times, with VA data often misleading.
Shulkin is generally supported by the largest veterans organizations, which have praised steps begun under Obama to address the VA's problems. They oppose greater privatization as a threat to the viability of VA medical centers. The VA has nearly 370,000 employees and an annual budget of nearly $167 billion.
A Section on 02/02/2017