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Ronny Jackson: hearing for VA nominee delayed amid 'serious allegations' Ronny Jackson: Trump indicates VA nominee may be close to withdrawing
(about 1 hour later)
Senate leaders have delayed indefinitely the confirmation hearing for Donald Trump’s pick to be veterans affairs (VA) secretary, because of what they said were “serious allegations” made against the White House doctor and navy rear admiral. Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, his White House doctor and nominee to be secretary of veterans affairs whose confirmation has been indefinitely delayed in the Senate, was set to drop out of consideration.
The hearing for Ronny Jackson had been set for Wednesday at the Senate veterans affairs committee. Allegations began surfacing late last week involving Jackson’s workplace practices, including claims of inappropriate behavior and over-prescribing prescription drugs, according to two aides granted anonymity to discuss the situation. “I don’t want to put a man through a process that is too ugly like this and it’s disgusting,” the president said, addressing reporters alongside French president Emmanuel Macron. “I’ll stand behind him. He’s fine man but it’s his choice.”
Trump, who on Tuesday was entertaining French president Emmanuel Macron at the White House, has already expressed frustration about delays in getting nominees through Congress. On Monday, Mike Pompeo, the nominee for secretary of state, narrowly cleared the Senate foreign relations committee. It would be “totally [Jackson’s] decision” whether to withdraw, Trump said.
Allegations began surfacing late last week involving Adm Jackson’s workplace practices. Two aides granted anonymity to discuss the situation who spoke to the Associated Press discussed claims of inappropriate behavior and over-prescribing prescription drugs. Before Trump spoke alongside Macron, Senate leaders delayed indefinitely Adm Jackson’s confirmation hearing, which had been set for Wednesday, citing “serious allegations”.
Trump said: “This person Admiral Jackson, Dr Jackson, is a wonderful man. I said to him what do you need it for?”
Jackson earlier told an NBC reporter he had been “looking forward to the hearing tomorrow. Kind of disappointed that it’s been postponed, but I’m looking forward to getting it rescheduled and answering everybody’s questions”.
Asked to comment on “the allegations, a hostile work environment, the allegations about potentially drinking on the job, over-prescribing medication”, Jackson said: “I’m looking forward to the hearing, so we can sit down and I can explain everything to everyone and answer all the senators’ questions.”
Asked if he was withdrawing his nomination, he did not answer.
At his press conference, Trump complained at length about what he called obstruction by Democrats in the Senate, a subject on which he has frequently expressed frustration. On Monday, CIA director Mike Pompeo, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, narrowly cleared the Senate foreign relations committee.
“The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people,” the president wrote on Twitter, “including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!”“The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people,” the president wrote on Twitter, “including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!”
In a statement, Senate VA committee chairman Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, and Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat on the panel, said: “We take very seriously our constitutional duty to thoroughly and carefully vet each nominee sent to the Senate for confirmation. On Tuesday, Trump repeated that Jackson was an “extraordinary person, his family extraordinary successful, great doctor, great everything and he has to listen to the abuse that he has to. I wouldn’t, if I were him. Actually in many ways I’d love to be him but the fact is I wouldn’t do it, I wouldn’t do it.
“We will continue looking into these serious allegations and have requested additional information from the White House to enable the committee to conduct a full review.” “What does he need it for? To be abused by a bunch of politicians that aren’t thinking nicely about our country, I really don’t think personally he should do it. But it’s totally his, I’ll stand behind him, totally his decision.”
Isakson told fellow GOP senators over the weekend about the allegations, prompting those on the panel to give their support for delaying the hearing, one senator said. In a statement, Senate VA committee chairman Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, and Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat, said: “We take very seriously our constitutional duty to thoroughly and carefully vet each nominee sent to the Senate for confirmation.”
“Chairman Isakson had a phone conversation with a lot of us around the committee over the weekend, indicated that there had been some unsubstantiated allegations made, and he wants to do it right,” said Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, on Fox News.
“We told him that if he wanted to delay the meeting, that was fine with us. We most certainly want to get all the facts out,” he said.
Admiral Jackson’s record of strong, decisive leadership is exactly what’s needed at the VAAdmiral Jackson’s record of strong, decisive leadership is exactly what’s needed at the VA
Democrats on the committee assembled privately late on Monday. Tester reiterated to the other senators that the allegations were out there, one aide said. But no specific evidence of wrongdoing was offered. Democrats on the committee assembled privately late on Monday. Tester reiterated that the allegations were out there, one aide said. But no specific evidence of wrongdoing was offered. White House and VA officials were quietly discussing a delay with key allies outside the administration even as White House spokesman Hogan Gidley praised Jackson early on Tuesday.
White House and VA officials were quietly discussing a delay with key allies outside the administration, even as White House spokesman Hogan Gidley praised Jackson’s nomination on Tuesday. “Admiral Jackson has been on the front lines of deadly combat and saved the lives of many others in service to this country. He’s served as the physician to three presidents, Republican and Democrat, and been praised by them all,” Gidley said.
“Admiral Jackson has been on the front lines of deadly combat and saved the lives of many others in service to this country. He’s served as the physician to three Presidents, Republican and Democrat, and been praised by them all,” he said.
“Admiral Jackson’s record of strong, decisive leadership is exactly what’s needed at the VA to ensure our veterans receive the benefits they deserve.”“Admiral Jackson’s record of strong, decisive leadership is exactly what’s needed at the VA to ensure our veterans receive the benefits they deserve.”
Trump selected Jackson, who he said was “highly respected”, last month after firing former Obama administration official David Shulkin following an ethics scandal and rebellion within the agency. Shulkin protested and said it was a political move. Trump selected Jackson last month after firing former Obama official David Shulkin following an ethics scandal and rebellion within the agency. Shulkin protested and said it was a political move.
The president was impressed with Jackson’s performance at the White House podium in January, when the doctor appeared before the press to discuss the 71-year-old Trump’s physical and mental health. Trump told aides he liked Jackson’s smooth turn before the cameras and ability to field questions as he offered a glowing report on the president’s physical and mental wellbeing. The president was impressed with Jackson’s performance at the White House podium in January. Trump told aides he liked Jackson’s ability to field questions as he offered a glowing report on the 71-year-old president’s physical and mental wellbeing. Jackson spent nearly an hour extolling the president’s “incredible genes” and joking that if only Trump had eaten a healthier diet over the last 20 years “he might live to be 200 years old”.
Jackson spent nearly an hour exhausting reporters’ questions, extolling the president’s “incredible genes” and joking that if only Trump had eaten a healthier diet over the last 20 years “he might live to be 200 years old”. Jackson has also faced questions from Republicans, Democrats and veterans groups about whether he has the experience to manage a massive department of 360,000 employees serving nine million military veterans.
Jackson has faced numerous questions from Republicans and Democrats as well as veterans groups about whether he has the experience to manage the massive department of 360,000 employees serving nine million military veterans. Senator Rounds said Jackson’s small staff at the White House would be an issue. At the Tuesday press conference, Trump said: “As far as experience is concerned, the veterans administration, which is approximately 13 million people, is so big, you could run the biggest hospital system in the world and [it would be] small-time compared to the veterans administration, so nobody has the experience.
“We’ve got 360,000 people there,” he said of the VA. “Are they going to manage the secretary or is the secretary going to manage the VA? That’s a good question to ask, and he needs to answer it. He needs to be the leader. A lot of folks want to be led and managed.” “So what, he is a leader and a good man. I said, ‘What do you need it for?’ He’ll be making his decision and it’s totally his decision.”
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