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    • Trump nominates former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins as VA secretary
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    Trump nominates former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins as VA secretary

    Pabio Posted on

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    WASHINGTON- President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he was nominating a former Republican U.S. Representative Doug Collins of Georgia to be his Department of Veterans Affairs secretary as he continues to rapidly assemble his next administration.

    Collins, a former member of Congress from 2013 to 2021 and trusted Trump loyalist, is a chaplain for the United States Air Force Reserve Command. He served in the Iraq War in 2008.

    “We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our active duty military, veterans and military families to ensure they receive the support they need,” Trump said in a statement.

    Collins opted not to run for reelection in 2020 to run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. Despite Trump’s support, Collins finished third behind Republican Kelly Loeffler, then an incumbent senator, and Democrat Raphael Warnock in the first round of a special election. Warnock then narrowly defeated Loeffler in a runoff.

    After Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, Collins helped push Trump’s baseless claimss of widespread voter fraud in Georgiathat Biden narrowly won against Trump. Collins led vote recount efforts in the state on Trump’s behalf.

    The Department of Veterans Affairs — a department historically maligned for its care of the nation’s more than 9 million veterans — is currently led by Biden’s appointment. Denis McDonough.

    The Department of Veterans Affairs provides benefits, health care and cemetery services to veterans. It employs nearly 371,000 healthcare professionals and support staff at VA medical facilities across the country.

    Collins said he honored to accept the nomination in a post on. “Our heroes deserve the best care and support,” Collins said. “We will fight tirelessly to streamline and reduce regulations within the VA, root out corruption, and ensure that every veteran receives the benefits they have earned.”

    Contact Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison

    Contributor: Reuters

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