Senate to postpone confirmation hearing for Ronny Jackson to head Veterans Affairs, White House officials told
By Seung Min Kim, Lisa Rein and Josh Dawsey April 23 at 8:20 PM Email the author
Senate lawmakers have postponed the confirmation hearing for Ronny L. Jackson, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, after top Republicans and Democrats raised concerns about his qualifications and oversight of the White House medical staff, White House and other administration officials were told Monday.
The development came just two days before Jackson, the White House physician, was scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and threw what was looking to be a difficult confirmation process into further jeopardy.
In addition to Jackson’s lack of management experience, the former combat surgeon had come under fire for his glowing appraisal of Trump’s health following his annual physical in January. Jackson said then that the president might live to the age of 200 with a healthier diet. In recent days, fresh concerns arose about Jackson’s management of the White House medical office, said the officials, who declined to provide details.
“I can tell you we’re vetting out Jackson,” said Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.), the committee’s ranking Democrat. “I can’t get into specifics, but we’re doing our job to make sure he’s fit for the job.”
Aides to committee Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) declined to comment.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), another committee member, said he had raised concerns about Jackson’s lack of management background to the White House and requested to speak with Chief of Staff John F. Kelly on the matter.
“This job is so difficult,” Moran said Monday. “Nothing about this is easy, and it takes a very unique person to be able to lead an organization that is so difficult to lead, and I need to be convinced that’s the case regardless of the sense of his experience.”
The White House also is assessing whether questions that have been raised about Jackson have validity, officials said.
Committee Democrats gathered Monday evening to discuss the issues surrounding Jackson’s nomination. Following the meeting, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in a brief interview that “there is a need for a very serious and exacting scrutiny, as with any presidential nominee.”
more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-postpones-confirmation-hearing-for-ronny-jackson-to-head-veterans-affairs/2018/04/23/8d2bfd14-471d-11e8-ad53-d5751c8f243f_story.html?utm_term=.bcc48427ecd5
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