Tester Statement on Confirmation of Tanya Bradsher to be VA Deputy Secretary

Bradsher is the first woman confirmed to serve as VA’s #2 official

The Senate today voted to confirm Tanya Bradsher to be the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Deputy Secretary with strong backing from U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, who released the following statement:

“Tanya Bradsher has an impressive record of serving our country in and out of uniform, especially in her recent role as VA Chief of Staff. Now more than ever, the Department needs a strong second-in-command to uphold its mission to deliver veterans the health care and benefits they have earned, and having a confirmed leader in this role better ensures we can hold VA accountable. I look forward to working with her in this new role to implement needed reforms that will deliver for veterans in Montana and across the country.”

Tester took to the Senate floor yesterday to urge bipartisan support for the confirmation of Bradsher, where he emphasized her qualifications to serve as VA Deputy Secretary and the need to have a permanent leader in place to hold accountable. She now becomes the first woman confirmed to this position.

As Deputy Secretary, Bradsher will be the Department’s second highest official and Chief Operating Officer tasked with running the day-to-day operations at VA. In this role, she will also be tasked with overseeing other challenges facing VA—including the roll-out of the Electronic Health Record Modernization program and strengthening VA’s collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD) on the VA-DoD Joint Executive Committee.  

Bradsher is a 20 year U.S. Army veteran who most recently served as the VA Chief of Staff, where she was critical in overseeing the implementation of the PACT Act. She has also worked in Congress, at the White House, the Defense Health Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security.