WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and chairman of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee – released the following statement after voting to confirm Dr. David Shulkin as the country’s ninth Secretary of Veterans Affairs:

“Dr. Shulkin’s stated desire to restore veterans’ faith in the agency and transform its stubborn, bureaucratic culture is a good foundation, but the ultimate measure of his success will be determined by veterans’ access to quality care worthy of their sacrifice and the benefits they earned. I look forward to seeing what kind of impact Dr. Shulkin can have at the VA. I hope he seizes this opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of American veterans. If, however, the pattern of unresponsiveness, deflection and mismanagement remains at the VA, I will be a persistent voice for change on behalf of those they are failing.”

On Jan. 20, Sen. Moran sent a letter to the president encouraging the new administration to consider his priorities for veterans. Sen. Moran followed up on these priorities during a Jan. 24 meeting with Dr. Shulkin and at the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Feb. 1. In each of these interactions, Sen. Moran has called for the inclusion of and close coordination with Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) under Dr. Shulkin’s leadership at the VA.

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