(Washington DC) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, voted today to confirm Robert Wilkie to be the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA). Mr. Wilkie’s nomination now goes to the full Senate.
“For generations, the VA has played a critically important role in fulfilling our country’s promise to care for those who served long after they return home, including my own father, a World War II veteran who received care through our local VA. This commitment to our veterans—to those who have served, those who are serving right now, and those who will in the future—is one I take very seriously.
“I supported Mr. Wilkie today with the expectation that should he be confirmed, he will always put veterans’ needs first and that he is capable of withstanding political pressure to privatize or otherwise degrade the VA. While I feel confident Mr. Wilkie was truthful during his confirmation hearing when he pledged to strengthen VA for the long-term, it will be his actions, not his words, that ultimately demonstrate whether he will find success at the VA and continue to have my support.
“In addition, should Mr. Wilkie be confirmed by the full Senate, I will actively work to ensure he follows through on his commitments to veterans, including his promise to implement the expansion of the Caregivers program as Congress intended; his promise to continue to ensure VA provides fertility treatment to veterans and their spouses who need them due to injuries related to their service; and his promise to work hand-in-hand with our Committee to provide the best possible care to millions of veterans, including the hundreds of thousands of veterans who live in Washington state.”
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