2 tough questions for VA Secretary pick at confirmation hearings
A dozen years ago, Ronny Jackson, MD, was leading a small team of physicians in Iraq, handling surgical shock trauma in the third year of the war. This week, Jackson could be a few hearings away from becoming the Secretary of Veterans Affairs—and assuming control of an organization that looks after some 3.5 million individuals.
For Jackson, a 50-year-old who is widely considered apolitical, this new role presents quite a change—one that will draw questions from both sides of the aisle during this week’s confirmation hearing. Senators appear interest in two main avenues of questioning.
Is he ready to lead?
Hired as the White House physician by George W. Bush in 2006, he remained in that role for eight years with President Barack Obama and into the Trump presidency. Though few question Jackson’s abilities as a doctor, many wonder if he’s ready to oversee a massive bureaucracy.
"He's got a great bedside manner you feel comfortable with," Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, told The Associated Press. "But it doesn't mean he will be a good leader of the VA."
The questions heading into the hearings are from both sides of the aisle.
“Ultimately, I need to reach the conclusion that I have confidence in the person to lead a huge organization that desperately needs strong leadership,” Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, a Veterans’ Affairs Committee member told the Hill.
What about privatization?
Former VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, claimed his ouster resulted from a longstanding opposition to privatizing VA services. Brown has questions about Jacksons’ preparedness to handle the fight over privatization, which involves players deeply entrenched in lobbying and policy-making.
“I think that he doesn’t know the pressure he’ll get from the Koch brothers, from the President himself and [vice president] Pence, because they want to privatize the VA,” Brown said.
But Jackson appeared to have alleviate some concerns from Democrats,
“We talked extensively about why Shulkin got fired with the issues revolving around privatization and capacity building,” Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, told the AP. “[He] seems to be somebody who doesn’t want to privatize the VA.”
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.