Trump's Pick for VA Chief Delayed as Senators Seek Information

A Senate panel is delaying hearings for President Donald Trump’s nomination of White House physician Ronny Jackson to be Veterans Affairs secretary as lawmakers demand more information about his background.

Senator Johnny Isakson, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, said he and the panel’s ranking Democrat, Jon Tester, have decided to delay a hearing on Jackson’s nomination that had been scheduled for this week and sent a letter to Trump seeking more information.

“The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is postponing the hearing to consider the nominee to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in light of new information presented to the committee,” Isakson and Tester said in a joint statement released Tuesday. “We will continue looking into these serious allegations and have requested additional information from the White House to enable the committee to conduct a full review.”

The Trump administration is standing behind Jackson’s nomination after reports Monday by the Washington Post and CBS News about allegations regarding his behavior and how he ran his office, including a hostile work environment and drinking on the job. He also faced questions about his qualifications to manage the federal government’s second-largest department.

“Admiral Jackson has been on the front lines of deadly combat and saved the lives of many others in service to this country,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement. “He’s served as the physician to three Presidents -- Republican and Democrat -- and been praised by them all. Admiral Jackson’s record of strong, decisive leadership is exactly what’s needed at the VA to ensure our veterans receive the benefits they deserve.”