VA hearing delay proposed

Senators raise concerns about Trump’s choice for post

WASHINGTON -- Senators are discussing plans to delay the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's pick to be Veteran Affairs secretary over growing questions about the nominee's ability to manage the government's second-largest department.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said some Republicans have told him that they think the hearing should be postponed, which he said deserves consideration.

The Washington Post reported that White House and other administration officials were told Monday that lawmakers had decided on postponing the confirmation for Ronny Jackson after top Republicans and Democrats raised concerns about his qualifications and oversight of the White House medical staff.

The development came just two days before Jackson, the White House physician, was scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and threw what was looking to be a difficult confirmation process into further jeopardy.

In addition to Jackson's lack of management experience, the former combat surgeon had come under fire for his glowing appraisal of Trump's health following his annual physical in January. In recent days, fresh concerns arose about Jackson's management of the White House medical office, said the officials, who declined to provide details.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., another committee member, said he had raised concerns about Jackson's lack of management background to the White House and requested to speak with Chief of Staff John Kelly on the matter.

"This job is so difficult," Moran said Monday. "Nothing about this is easy, and it takes a very unique person to be able to lead an organization that is so difficult to lead, and I need to be convinced that's the case regardless of the sense of his experience."

The White House also is assessing whether questions that have been raised about Jackson have validity, officials said.

Committee Democrats gathered Monday evening to discuss the issues surrounding Jackson's nomination. After the meeting, Blumenthal said in a brief interview that "there is a need for a very serious and exacting scrutiny, as with any presidential nominee."

It's unclear whether lawmakers have chosen an alternate date for Jackson's hearing -- or whether it will be postponed indefinitely. Three White House officials said Monday that they worried the nomination was in peril.

"He's got a great bedside manner you feel comfortable with," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. "But it doesn't mean he will be a good leader of the VA."

But, in an interview this month with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal newspaper, Jackson defended his qualifications for the VA job. "I've been in leadership school for 23 years now. ... I've been confronted on a day-to-day basis with life and death decisions."

Information for this article was contributed by Laurie Kellman, Calvin Woodard, Hope Yen, Stephen Braun, Jake Pearson, Monika Mathur and Randy Herschaft of The Associated Press; and by Seung Min Kim, Lisa Rein, Josh Dawsey, Amy Gardner, Emily Wax-Thibodeaux and Alice Crites of The Washington Post.

A Section on 04/24/2018

Upcoming Events