David Shulkin, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. (Alex Brandon/AP)David J. Shulkin, an internist and longtime health administrator, was unanimously confirmed Monday to lead the troubled Veterans Affairs Department, becoming the first of President Trump’s Cabinet picks to be embraced by all Republicans and Democrats. Just before the vote, the leading lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee urged their colleagues to put aside the partisanship that has defined the confirmation battles so far. “There will be far greater accountability, dramatically improved access, responsiveness and expanded care option,” Shulkin told lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “But the Department of Veterans Affairs will not be privatized under my watch.”Republicans have pressed Shulkin for assurances that he will act swiftly to winnow a growing backlog in appeals of denied benefit claims.

Source: Washington Post February 14, 2017 00:54 UTC