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Blumenthal Statement on the Nomination of David Shulkin to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal released the following statement in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Under Secretary of Health for the Department of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin to lead the Department in the next Administration:

“I welcome the opportunity to hear from David Shulkin on how he will continue to work with me on significantly improving the services and benefits we owe our veterans - which all too often our nation has failed to provide. Among Cabinet nominees who lack experience or expertise necessary to run the Departments they have been nominated to lead, David is a welcome exception,” Blumenthal said. “David is a proven healthcare professional and manager whose expertise will be valuable in drastically reducing delays in health care delivery. If confirmed, he must redouble those efforts, strengthen benefits, end unacceptable backlogs in appeals, and assure better accountability through his leadership.  The reforms we sought to pass last year in the Veterans First Act remain as important as ever and I look forward to hearing more from David about how he will address all of the issues important to our nation’s veterans.”

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