Arlington, Va. – On Monday, President Obama will nominate Bob McDonald, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, to serve as Veterans Affairs secretary, replacing Eric Shinseki, who resigned last month after failing to effectively lead the troubled agency for nearly six years. Following a scathing agency-wide assessment by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Rob Nabors, the surprising pick of a private sector leader with corporate management skills is recognition that the VA requires a leader who can bring long overdue accountability and transparency to the deeply troubled agency.
The nomination will require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
While not a healthcare expert, McDonald’s corporate background could bring a different leadership style and fresh private sector perspective to the massive, broken bureaucracy if he is confirmed. McDonald’s education at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and five years of service in the Army should help him grasp the level of mistreatment, delayed care and suffering experienced by our nation’s veterans.
In reaction to the news of the pending announcement, Pete Hegseth, CEO of CVA, issued the follow statement:
“Concerned Veterans for America is hopeful that Bob McDonald will use his management experience as a corporate executive to turn around the Department of Veterans Affairs and bring accountability to calcified bureaucracy that has been allowed to fester without it for too long. If confirmed, Mr. McDonald will have to fight relentlessly for systemic reform, shake up the senior leadership, fire executives like Phoenix VA head Sharon Helman – who is still on the payroll today – and protect whistleblowers from reprisals if he is to earn our membership’s support.
“CVA is committed to a long-term fight to hold the VA’s leadership accountable and bring timely, quality care to veterans. McDonald must be empowered to focus on wholesale reforms and timely, quality care rather than simply throwing money at the problem and making superficial changes. CVA is optimistic about the president’s pick, but we’ll be watching to ensure that McDonald and his team put the medical needs of our nation’s veteran population ahead of the compensation and protection of department employees.”
To schedule a TV interview with Pete Hegseth, CEO of CVA, or other CVA experts, please email booking@guestbooker.com.
For more information, contact Bill Turenne at 703-624-7298 or email bturenne@cv4a.org.
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Concerned Veterans for America is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for policies that will preserve the freedom and liberty we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.