VA secretary to remain in role through end of term in January

Division of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will proceed in his function till President Joe Biden exits workplace in January, a VA official confirmed Thursday.

Till that point, McDonough is “combating like hell” to assist veterans get their earned advantages and well being care, mentioned VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes. A Bloomberg report Tuesday instructed the VA secretary would step down after the election, which is Nov. 5.

Nevertheless, McDonough has no plans to depart his publish early, Hayes confirmed.

It’s customary for presidents to ask all political appointees, together with Cupboard members, to submit resignations on the finish of their phrases to “clear the decks for the brand new administration,” in response to the Partnership for Public Service.

Cupboard members additionally submit resignations as a courtesy when presidents are reelected to permit second-term presidents the chance to make management modifications and produce “contemporary concepts,” the group mentioned.

McDonough’s plans after Biden leaves workplace Jan. 20 are unclear. It’s unlikely that former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, would search to reappoint him, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has but to share any potential plans for Cupboard posts.

Biden appointed McDonough, a former White Home chief of employees for President Barack Obama, in the beginning of his time period in 2021. McDonough got here into the function as solely the the second non-veteran ever to carry the publish. On the time, Biden’s transition crew described him as a “crisis-tested public servant” with “the empathy, the character, the integrity and ethics, and the relentless work ethic the place calls for.”

McDonough is the VA’s eleventh secretary and the longest-serving since retired Military Gen. Eric Shinseki held the function from January 2009 to Could 2014. Three secretaries served between the 2, every holding the publish fewer than three years.

In an announcement Thursday, the VA lauded McDonough’s work on the division. Among the many checklist of achievements shared by the company was his efforts to implement the PACT Act, sweeping laws that expanded well being care and advantages for veterans uncovered to toxins, together with chemical defoliants and burn pit smoke.

The VA mentioned in Could it had reached the milestone of approving a million claims made underneath the PACT Act. On July 19, the company reported it had permitted 1.1 million claims, with an approval charge of 75%.

“The PACT Act was purported to part in well being care and advantages over a number of years, however VA determined to convey ahead well being care and advantages eligibility, thus permitting thousands and thousands of veterans to get the advantages they deserve years sooner than they might have in any other case,” the VA mentioned in an announcement Thursday.

Among the many different cited accomplishments was a coverage McDonough carried out in 2023 to permit veterans to entry emergency psychological well being care freed from cost at any VA hospital or clinic, no matter whether or not they had been enrolled in VA well being care. In line with the division, 49,714 veterans used that profit in its first 12 months.

McDonough has confronted some controversy throughout his time as secretary. Most just lately, McDonough acknowledged in June “a sequence of huge errors” within the improper awarding of about $11 million in incentive bonuses to senior division officers final 12 months.

Republican lawmakers questioned whether or not some senior leaders needs to be fired due to the scandal, which they mentioned has undermined public religion within the division.

This story was produced in partnership with Army Veterans in Journalism. Please ship tricks to MVJ-Suggestions@militarytimes.com.