Veterans affairs secretary nominee Doug Collins pledged to be a fierce defender of the department’s workforce and for veterans during his senate confirmation hearing.
The former Georgia congressman testified before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Tuesday after President Donald Trump picked him to lead the agency.
“If I’m confirmed by this body, the VA will be my mission. It will be the mission to take care of our veterans and to make sure they get the benefits that they deserve,” Collins said. “I will tell you right now, the veterans of VA will not have a stronger fighter for the employees in the workforce than this secretary if confirmed and also one that will make sure that we’re held accountable because good work begets good work, and others need to be held accountable.”
Democrats on the committee posed difficult questions to him, but several expressed an openness to working with him if he gets confirmed by the Senate.
Multiple committee members pressed Collins to fight Trump’s federal hiring freeze, saying it could hamper the VA’s ability to provide medical care.
He was also pressed on the Biden administration’s 2022 decision to allow the VA to provide abortion counseling and abortions to veterans when the life or health of a pregnant veteran was endangered by a pregnancy or when a woman became pregnant because of rape or incest. The previous administration’s ruling superseded a 1992 law.
“To me, it’s time for us to take a look at the rule and make sure, just as in every other area of VA life, that we’re actually doing what the law and the intent of this body is,” Collins told senators without affirming a predetermined outcome for such a review.
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Collins deployed to Iraq in 2008 and has been an Air Force Reserve chaplain since 2002, where he continues to be on call as lieutenant colonel reservist.
During his time in Congress, Collins was one of Trump’s defenders during the president’s 2019 impeachment. The Georgia former congressman later resigned his House seat to mount an unsuccessful campaign for Senate, losing to incumbent Kelly Loeffler, who ultimately lost to now-Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).