Sen. Sherrod Brown says the Trump administration cost the Veterans Affairs 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,” Brown says. “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.
Our servicemembers put themselves in harm's way to protect our freedoms and our families. Putting corporate profits ahead of our veterans is wrong.
— Sherrod Brown (@SherrodBrown) April 25, 2018
I'll keep speaking out—but I need your voice, too: https://t.co/Y62f99RNeY pic.twitter.com/ymtl9sPtoG
Jackson, who has been White House physician for Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, withdrew his nomination Thursday morning amid a flurry of allegations of personal misconduct. Among the allegations were “providing ‘a large supply’ of the opioid Percocet to a member of the White House Military Office and wrecking a government car while driving drunk after a Secret Service going-away party.”
Brown acknowledged the Obama administration may have missed important clues about Jackson’s fitness.
