The Senate has overwhelmingly voted to confirm President Joe Biden’s pick to oversee the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Senate confirmed Denis McDonough at VA secretary by a vote of 87-7 on Monday. McDonough was President Barack Obama’s chief of staff. He’ll now oversee a sprawling agency that has presented organizational challenges for both parties over the years.
But he never served in the armed forces, a fact noted by leading veterans advocacy groups. McDonough touted his experience working in the Obama administration, telling lawmakers he understood how to untangle and solve complex challenges across the government.
