Civic Register
| 3.29.18

Trump Tweets Shulkin’s Out And the Doctor’s In

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What’s the story?

Again President Trump has taken to Twitter to announce the removal and replacement of one of his Cabinet secretaries. On Wednesday afternoon he announced that he would be replacing Veterans Affairs head David Shulkin with the White House doctor, Rear Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, or "Doc" as the president refers to him.

Jackson has no administrative experience with a bureaucracy as sprawling as the Veterans Administration (VA), the second largest department in the federal system. He has, however, forged a positive working relationship with the president, according to reports from the New York Times.

Shulkin, a holdover from the Obama administration, handed the president some early legislative wins regarding veterans benefits and mental healthcare, as well as providing the department with more latitude to remove bad employees.

But he was also recently dogged by controversy about his travel expenditures, like several of the president’s current and former Cabinet members.

The New York Times published an op-ed in the New York Times Thursday, writing that he believes he was removed because of his opposition to privatizing the VA healthcare system.

To complicate the picture, now Acting Secretary Wilkie was advanced by leapfrogging him over the department’s deputy secretary Thomas Bowman.

Prominent veterans groups, like the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans, have expressed concern about a potential leadership vacuum at the VA just as significant inroads are being made on longstanding problems.

What do you think?

Was the president right to remove Shulkin? Is Rear Admiral Jackson the right choice to replace him? Are you concerned, as Shulkin is, about privatization at the VA?

Tell us in the comments what you think, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Veteran’s Health via Flickr / Creative Commons )