Senate confirms Denis McDonough to lead VA under Biden Ellen Mitchell
The Senate on Monday confirmed Denis McDonough to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The Senate confirmed McDonough in a 87-7 vote. The no votes came from GOP Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Roger Marshall (Kansas), Rick Scott (Fla.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) and Ted Cruz (Texas).
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who has voiced his support for McDonough, was unable to vote due to flight delays caused by weather, preventing him from traveling to Washington, D.C.
McDonough is only the second non-veteran to be voted into the post, which oversees health care for some 9 million veterans, provides pensions and life insurance, helps with housing assistance and education, and oversees national cemeteries. The VA is one of the federal government s largest departments, with nearly 400,000 employees and a budget of $243 billion.
Denis McDonough is the second VA secretary to not receive a unanimous or unopposed confirmation vote in the Senate. Former VA Secretary Robert Wilkie was also not confirmed unanimously.
Senate confirms Denis McDonough as VA secretary
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Denis McDonough was confirmed Monday as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 8 (UPI) The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Denis Richard McDonough as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Senate voted 87 to 7 with six senators not voting to confirm President Joe Biden s nomination for the position, making him only the second VA secretary in history who is not a veteran.
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Though lacking military experience, McDonough is a veteran administrator, having served as former President Barack Obama s chief of staff after holding various senior government positions.
After spending the weekend in Delaware, the president plans to resume his focus on combating the pandemic. The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump gets underway in earnest on Tuesday.