WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) told Wednesday President Trump’s nominee to lead the Veterans Administration that he wants him to succeed.
“We are seeing political interest groups given a seat at the table instead of veterans. I hope you agree that this type of behavior undermines the VA’s mission to serve the millions of veterans who rely on the VA," Sen. Tester said.
"The VA has larger challenges ahead. It simply cannot afford to get weighed down by unforced errors,” Tester told VA secretary nominee Robert Wilkie at a Senate hearing."
Sen. Tester is the ranking minority member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which is tasked with vetting Wilkie.
The Democrat was a key figure in the withdrawal of President Trump’s previous nominee, Ronny Jackson, who backed out after anonymous allegations of misconduct were raised against him.
Sen. Tester said he had received those complaints from people who had worked with Jackson in the White House medical office. The allegations prompted critical tweets from President Trump, who hinted at campaigning against Sen. Tester in his re-election bid.
