Trump’s V.A. Nominee Withdraws

Have you heard of Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson? You might remember him as the doctor who gave Trump a physical earlier this year and raved about the 71-year-old president’s excellent health. Ronny Jackson is the White House physician: the personal doctor for both Obama and Trump. Most recently, he was appointed as Trump’s nominee to head up the Department of Veterans Affairs. Last week, however, Jackson removed himself from the running for the job. Here, Election Central takes a look at what went wrong, and at why the V.A. secretary is such an important position.

What is the V.A.?

Though the United States has had some form of veteran care ever since the 1600s, the V.A. first became a major department after World War II, when the veteran population was suddenly much higher than before. One of its primary functions at that time was to oversee the GI Bill, the legislation which sent many returning World War II veterans to college. Currently, the V.A. serves more than 9 million veterans. It administers health care to veterans at more than 1,700 hospitals and clinics. It also provides veterans benefits and services–such as education, training, home loans, and life insurance–and operates 135 national cemeteries. Currently, the V.A. consists of about 370,000 employees and has a budget of almost $200 billion a year.

Related Link: Click here to visit the Department of Veterans Affairs government Web site.

‘The Candyman’?

Ronny Jackson’s Senate confirmation hearing was originally scheduled for last Wednesday but was postponed when accusations began to surface about his poor conduct. Jackson has been accused of giving away prescriptions for opioids too freely–his opponents have nicknamed him “The Candyman”–and of crashing a government vehicle while driving impaired. For the record, Jackson has publicly denied these accusations.

Related Link: Click here to review last year’s Election Central story about the Trump administation’s fight against opioid addiction.

Former and current employees also say that Jackson created a terrible work environment: that he often lashed out verbally at people who worked underneath him. Questions have also come up about whether or not Jackson–despite being a medical doctor and a military veteran himself–has the proper experience to head up such a massive agency.

The president has continued to defend his nominee and has blamed Democrats for what he believes is an unfair attack on Jackson’s character.

So What Happens Next?

Ronny Jackson won’t return as White House physician. Instead, Navy officer Sean Conley took over as Trump’s personal doctor last month, and will remain in that role.

So who will be the next nominee for V.A. secretary? Some are pointing toward former Florida congressman Jeff Miller. Miller was chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee until he left Congress in 2017. He is currently a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Though not a military veteran himself, his history in Congress makes him familiar with the issues that veterans face. Other potential nominees could include Robert Wilkie, the current acting V.A. secretary; Pete Hegseth, a veteran and Fox TV personality; and Deputy V.A. Secretary Thomas Bowman.

What Do You Think? Based on what you’ve read in this article, do you think that the V.A. secretary should always be a military veteran him/herself? Why or why not?