Senate should be wary of Dept. of Veterans Affairs nominee
Dr. Ronny Jackson, the White House physician, lacks the management experience to lead Washington's second-largest bureaucracy -- one that the nation's veterans rely on for many services. Credit: AP / Manuel Balce Ceneta
Caring for our nation’s military veterans was one of Donald Trump’s most consistent promises on the presidential campaign trail, and certainly one of his least controversial. Getting veterans the care they need is a nonpartisan priority.
But the increased quality of care Trump promised hasn’t come.
Facilities on Long Island and in many other communities are falling apart. The Department of Veterans Affairs is increasingly being exposed as dangerous and dysfunctional. Last week, as was expected, Trump fired the secretary of veterans affairs, David Shulkin, who could never rise above his ethical violations and his shoddy leadership. His designated replacement is Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the White House physician for the past three administrations who garnered praise from Trump for performing well during a news conference about the results of the president’s physical exam.
While Jackson is highly regarded as a physician, his resume does not include a shred of evidence that he can lead the government’s second-largest bureaucracy (it has a $186 billion budget) and probably its most dysfunctional. This might be the toughest management job in Washington.
Before the Senate confirms Jackson, it must elicit his views on further privatization of medical care, which other Trump appointees are recklessly pushing as a way to dismantle the agency instead of providing improved service. And unless the Senate can ensure that Jackson can overcome his lack of management experience and create a solid plan for building a leadership team that can improve care, it should reject his nomination.
Here on Long Island, the problems are increasingly daunting, and care for our veterans is suffering. Last month, we learned that the Northport VA Medical Center was again forced to stop performing surgeries when a faulty air conditioner forced the hospital to close all five of its operating rooms. The shutdown went on for about a week, and 18 surgeries had to be rescheduled while the $58,000 repair was performed.
That’s only the latest breakdown at the Northport facility, where surgeries were halted for four months in 2016 when another air-conditioning system failure sent metal fragments flying into the air, threatening to contaminate patients with open wounds. Another cooling system problem a year earlier led to pipe ruptures and a $12 million repair. And in January, Northport had to close its 42-bed veterans homeless shelter after the heat failed.
On Aug. 3, 2017, then-Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, right, and White House physician Ronny Jackson, left, watch as President Donald Trump talks with a patient during a Department of Veterans Affairs "telehealth" event. Credit: AP / Evan Vucci
A recent report estimated the cost of Northport’s repair and renovation to be $273 million. Long Island’s 130,000 veterans rely heavily on the facility, which has traditionally maintained a top reputation. Its quality cannot be allowed to decline.
If Jackson is confirmed, Trump, who has a warm personal relationship with his nominee, must make sure their communications remain constant. Jackson will need the president’s full support to get the VA running properly and all of its facilities up to par, including Northport.
We owe these veterans. There can be no reneging.
