WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today voted to confirm Robert McDonald as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Senate approved McDonald’s nomination by a vote of 97-0.

“I look forward to working with Secretary McDonald on reforming the VA to serve our nation’s veterans and their families,” Wicker said. “Secretary McDonald is taking the helm of the VA during an extremely tumultuous time. Reports of mismanagement and negligence at VA Medical Centers across the country continue to come to light. Veterans are simply not receiving the quality care that they so richly deserve, and a broken claims process has forced tens of thousands of veterans to wait months or even years for resolution. I am hopeful that Secretary McDonald will provide the necessary leadership to restore faith in the system.

“I am also pleased that Secretary McDonald’s confirmation will coincide with Congress’ enactment of critical reforms to the VA later this week. The VA reform bill negotiated by the House and Senate is not perfect, but I believe it would provide Secretary McDonald with important tools that he will need to right the ship.”