Trump nominates former Georgia representative Doug Collins as VA secretary

On By Littum

game

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he is nominating former Republican U.S Rep. Doug Collins from Georgia to be his secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs as he continues to rapidly assemble his next administration.

Collins, a former congressman from 2013 to 2021 and trusted Trump loyalist, is a chaplain for the United States Air Force Reserve Command. He served in the 2008 Iraq War.

“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our active duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need,” Trump said in a statement .

Collins chose not to run for re-election in 2020, instead running for the US Senate in Georgia. Despite having Trump’s endorsement, Collins finished third behind Republican Kelly Loeffler, then the senator, and Democrat Raphael Warnock in the first round of a special election. Warnock went on to narrowly defeat Loeffler in a runoff.

After Trump’s 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden, Collins helped push Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in Georgiawhich Biden narrowly won over Trump. Collins led the recount effort in the state on Trump’s behalf.

The Veterans Affairs Department — a department historically maligned over its care of the nation’s more than 9 million veterans — is currently headed by Biden appointee Denis McDonough.

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides benefits, health care and cemetery services to military veterans. It employs nearly 371,000 healthcare and support staff at VA medical facilities across the country.

Collins said he is honored to accept the nomination in a post on X. “Our heroes deserve the best care and support,” Collins said. “We will fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations at the VA, root out corruption and ensure that every veteran receives the benefits they have earned.”

Reach Joey Garrison at X @joeygarrison

Featured: Reuters