Trump’s Pick To Head VA Sails Through Senate Confirmation Vote

The Senate voted in a bipartisan fashion Tuesday afternoon to confirm former Republican Georgia Rep. Doug Collins to lead President Donald Trump’s Department of Veterans Affairs.

Senators voted 77 to 23 with 30 Democrats — more than half of the Senate Democratic conference — supporting Collins’ nomination.

Collins is Trump’s 10th cabinet nominee to be confirmed. Senate Republicans’ quick approval of Trump’s nominees has considerably outpaced the confirmation schedules of the Biden administration and first Trump administration. (RELATED: Biden Admin Filled Terrorist Coffers With Over $1,300,000,000 Before Trump Took Wrecking Ball To Foreign Aid)

Collins won broad support from members of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs who advanced his nomination 18 to 1 during a committee vote on Jan. 23. Democratic Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono was the only senator to oppose his nomination at the committee level.

“I want to strengthen VA so it works better for America’s heroes, and I will embrace your oversight and seek your counsel as we work together to do just that,” Collins told the veterans affairs committee during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 21. “We will not shy away from challenges like homelessness and suicide prevention, electronic health record modernization, and shrinking the department’s claims backlog. And we will not stop until we succeed on behalf of the men and women who have worn the uniform.”

Caring for the men and women who have served our country is an important obligation, and one that @POTUS takes very seriously.

Doug Collins understands what it means to serve our veterans, and I look forward to working with him to uphold our nation’s commitment to those who have… pic.twitter.com/1o2NDAmHRU

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) February 3, 2025

Senate Republicans enthusiastically endorsed Collins, citing his decades of military service and heart for public service.

“Veterans are a top priority for the Trump administration, just as they were in his first term. To carry out this important mission, President Trump has tapped someone with a servant’s heart,” Thune said on the Senate floor Monday. “Doug Collins has comforted wounded soldiers. He’s taken calls from service members contemplating suicide. He understands what it means to serve the veteran.”

Collins served four terms in the House from 2013 to 2021 representing Georgia’s Ninth District. He currently serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Thune announced the Senate is set to vote on former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s nomination to lead the Department of Justice next. The vote will occur as early as 1:00 am EST Wednesday morning absent a time agreement with Senate Democrats.

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