Theseus Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Biden to name former WH Chief of Staff Denis McDonough as VA Secretary nominee Leo Shane III 39 minutes ago President-elect Joe Biden is nominating former President Barack Obama's White House chief of staff Denis McDonough as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Charles Dharapak/AP) President-elect Joe Biden has selected former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough as his pick for the next Veterans Affairs Secretary, Military Times has learned. If confirmed, the 51-year-old McDonough would be only the second non-veteran ever to hold the post. He would be the second member of former President Barack Obama’s national security team to be given a Cabinet level post in the new Biden administration, following Tony Blinken, who Biden has tapped to be his Secretary of State. According to a source familiar with the choice, Biden opted for McDonough because of his past in crisis management in the Obama administration and his depth of knowledge of government operations. Biden: Here’s why I chose Lloyd Austin for defense secretary The president-elect says Austin has the experience and character needed to lead the Pentagon. Leo Shane III Despite his defense policy ties, McDonough was not a major public figure on veterans issues during the Obama administration. As chief of staff, he did oversee staffing changes and policy responses to the department’s 2014 wait time scandal, which resulted in the resignation of then VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. After Shinseki was replaced by Bob McDonald, McDonough worked closely with the new VA leadership team behind the scenes to reform operations and restore public trust in the massive health care system. Sources said Biden was also impressed by McDonough’s personal connection with troops and military families during his time working on national security policy. Former VA Secretary David Shulkin — the only other non-veteran to serve as VA secretary — on Thursday hailed McDonough’s selection. “He is an experienced leader who has helped [the department] through its toughest days in 2014 and cares deeply about veterans,” he wrote on social media. “He will do a great job.” Sign up for the Early Bird Brief Get the military's most comprehensive news and information every morning (please select a country) United States United Kingdom Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of The Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D'ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Subscribe Members of Biden’s transition team spent Thursday morning reaching out to advocates to inform them of the pick, expected to be formally announced later this afternoon. Veterans groups have traditionally pushed for veterans in the senior leadership role, arguing their shared military experience is key in understanding the health care needs and post-service challenges facing the community. However, in 2017, major veterans groups strongly endorsed President Donald Trump’s choice of Shulkin, then head of the Veterans Health Administration, to take over the top department leadership post. Whether McDonough will receive the same support remains to be seen. Former VA secretary details dysfunction, chaos within the Trump administration David Shulkin says he doesn't want to attack the president, but does see big changes needed to improved public service. Leo Shane III “We are surprised by this pick, no way to deny that,” said AMVETS National Executive Director Joe Chenelly. “We were expecting a veteran, maybe a post-9/11 veteran, maybe a woman veteran, or maybe a veteran who knows the VA exceptionally well. “We are looking forward to hearing from President-Elect Biden on his thinking behind this nomination.” McDonough’s wife, Kari, is co-founder and president of Vets Community Connections, a non-profit focused on helping veterans and military families by “expanding their local networks and involving all parts of the community.” Former Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Murphy, former VA Secretary Bob McDonald and current Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth had all been rumored to be under consideration for the post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted December 10, 2020 Report Share Posted December 10, 2020 Now he’s named Susan Rice as chief of Domestic Policy and then surprise surprise has put a LID ON THE DAY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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