On Senate Floor, Tester Urges Bipartisan Support for Confirmation of VA’s #2 Official

Chairman: “Having a permanent leader in this role ensures we can hold VA accountable to do their job”;

Underscores nominee Tanya Bradsher’s background in military and civilian service

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester took to the Senate floor today to urge his colleagues to confirm Tanya Bradsher, the pending nominee to be the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Deputy Secretary. Following Tester’s remarks, Bradsher’s nomination cleared the Senate’s first procedural vote.

“With a historic number of veterans receiving care and benefits under the PACT Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs needs a qualified second-in-command…to uphold its mission to deliver veterans the health care and benefits they have earned,” said Tester. “I rise today because Tanya Bradsher is that leader.”

Tester emphasized Bradsher’s qualifications to serve as VA Deputy Secretary, highlighting her current role serving as VA’s Chief of Staff, her 20 years of service in the U.S. Army, where she was deployed to Iraq, and her time working in Congress, at the White House, the Defense Health Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security.

He continued, “It is no secret VA has a lot of work on its plate…That’s why this body needs to come together in a bipartisan way to make Tanya Bradsher the permanent leader who will tackle these challenges and ensure VA is upholding its mission to veterans and their families. The fact is, having a permanent leader in this role ensures we can hold VA accountable to do their job—and our veterans deserve no less.”

In July, Tester led the Committee in advancing Bradsher’s nomination for full Senate consideration. If confirmed, Bradsher would be the Department’s second highest official and Chief Operating Officer tasked with running the day-to-day operations at VA, as well as the first woman to hold the position. She would 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.