President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with then-acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie after informing him that he will be nominating him to be the new Secretary of the VA, during the Prison Reform Summit at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 18, 2018. (Photo: Reuters)
The U.S. Senate on Monday voted 86-9-5 to confirm Robert Wilkie as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Mr. Wilkie, who was serving as acting-secretary, replaces David Shulkin, a holdover from the Obama administration fired by President Donald Trump amid scandal.
“I applaud the United States Senate for confirming Robert Wilkie as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Wilkie has dedicated his life to serving his country with honor and pride,” President Donald Trump said in a statement. “He has displayed great patriotism and a commitment to supporting and empowering America’s armed forces and veterans.”
Mr. Wilkie wasn’t the president’s first choice for the role. Admiral Ronny Jackson, MD withdrew as the nominee after Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., leveled baseless and unsubstantiated allegations against him. His nomination was railroaded before those allegations were debunked.
“Under his leadership, I have no doubt that the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to make strides in honoring and protecting the heroic men and women who have served our Nation with distinction.”
| Robert Wilkie Senate Confirmation Grouped By Vote | ||
|---|---|---|
| YEAs —86 | NAYs —9 | Not Voting – 5 |
| Alexander (R-TN) | Booker (D-NJ) | Brown (D-OH) |
| Baldwin (D-WI) | Feinstein (D-CA) | Burr (R-NC) |
| Barrasso (R-WY) | Gillibrand (D-NY) | Corker (R-TN) |
| Bennet (D-CO) | Harris (D-CA) | Kennedy (R-LA) |
| Blumenthal (D-CT) | Markey (D-MA) | McCain (R-AZ) |
| Blunt (R-MO) | Merkley (D-OR) | |
| Boozman (R-AR) | Sanders (I-VT) | |
| Cantwell (D-WA) | Warren (D-MA) | |
| Capito (R-WV) | Wyden (D-OR) | |
| Cardin (D-MD) | ||
| Carper (D-DE) | ||
| Casey (D-PA) | ||
| Cassidy (R-LA) | ||
| Collins (R-ME) | ||
| Coons (D-DE) | ||
| Cornyn (R-TX) | ||
| Cortez Masto (D-NV) | ||
| Cotton (R-AR) | ||
| Crapo (R-ID) | ||
| Cruz (R-TX) | ||
| Daines (R-MT) | ||
| Donnelly (D-IN) | ||
| Duckworth (D-IL) | ||
| Durbin (D-IL) | ||
| Enzi (R-WY) | ||
| Ernst (R-IA) | ||
| Fischer (R-NE) | ||
| Flake (R-AZ) | ||
| Gardner (R-CO) | ||
| Graham (R-SC) | ||
| Grassley (R-IA) | ||
| Hassan (D-NH) | ||
| Hatch (R-UT) | ||
| Heinrich (D-NM) | ||
| Heitkamp (D-ND) | ||
| Heller (R-NV) | ||
| Hirono (D-HI) | ||
| Hoeven (R-ND) | ||
| Hyde-Smith (R-MS) | ||
| Inhofe (R-OK) | ||
| Isakson (R-GA) | ||
| Johnson (R-WI) | ||
| Jones (D-AL) | ||
| Kaine (D-VA) | ||
| King (I-ME) | ||
| Klobuchar (D-MN) | ||
| Lankford (R-OK) | ||
| Leahy (D-VT) | ||
| Lee (R-UT) | ||
| Manchin (D-WV) | ||
| McCaskill (D-MO) | ||
| McConnell (R-KY) | ||
| Menendez (D-NJ) | ||
| Moran (R-KS) | ||
| Murkowski (R-AK) | ||
| Murphy (D-CT) | ||
| Murray (D-WA) | ||
| Nelson (D-FL) | ||
| Paul (R-KY) | ||
| Perdue (R-GA) | ||
| Peters (D-MI) | ||
| Portman (R-OH) | ||
| Reed (D-RI) | ||
| Risch (R-ID) | ||
| Roberts (R-KS) | ||
| Rounds (R-SD) | ||
| Rubio (R-FL) | ||
| Sasse (R-NE) | ||
| Schatz (D-HI) | ||
| Schumer (D-NY) | ||
| Scott (R-SC) | ||
| Shaheen (D-NH) | ||
| Shelby (R-AL) | ||
| Smith (D-MN) | ||
| Stabenow (D-MI) | ||
| Sullivan (R-AK) | ||
| Tester (D-MT) | ||
| Thune (R-SD) | ||
| Tillis (R-NC) | ||
| Toomey (R-PA) | ||
| Udall (D-NM) | ||
| Van Hollen (D-MD) | ||
| Warner (D-VA) | ||
| Whitehouse (D-RI) | ||
| Wicker (R-MS) | ||
| Young (R-IN) | ||
