Trump’s most popular Cabinet secretary is Obama holdover

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

The VA's Shulkin has cut through red tape, made big changes.

 

By ARTHUR ALLEN

 

08/28/2017 04:57 AM EDT

 

 

VA Secretary David Shulkin has proved to be something unique in President Donald Trump's Washington: an Obama appointee nominated by Trump who is beloved by almost everyone and getting stuff done.

By tweaking regulations, he has managed to fire hundreds of allegedly incompetent employees, publicized waiting times at Veterans Affairs clinics, gotten money to expand vets’ treatment by private doctors, and expanded care for isolated vets through telemedicine and mobile phones, while promising to close 430 vacant VA buildings and speed up benefit awards. Shulkin also made a bold — and risky — decision to bypass contracting rules to buy a $16 billion digital health record system.

“What motivates me and what motivates Dr. Shulkin is the same, to provide the best care to veterans,” said Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. “I don’t know whether he’s a Republican or Democrat, and I could care less.”

But there’s a reason Shulkin was Trump’s fourth choice for the VA job — or possibly the fifth, or the 10th, depending on whom you ask. The VA, with 350,000 employees and 1,250 health care sites, is a political quagmire. Not many people want to clean up others’ messes with hundreds of people looking over their shoulder.

The VA’s conservative critics are holding their fire now that a GOP administration and Congress control the agency. But savaging from both left and right is likely to start up again if Shulkin’s mission flags. That could easily happen.

The administration and Congress must agree on a way to scrap or overcome budget caps to fund an ambitious Shulkin agenda that includes building up the $70 billion VA health system from within while simultaneously enabling veterans to get care outside its doors.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/28/trump-shuklin-veterans-obama-holdover-242047?lo=ap_a1

 

[Jacque67 7,328]

Sounds a good guy.

[IAMX 3,055]

There's nothing unusual about prior cabinet members staying into a current administration. Happens every Presidency. 

[spookyturtle 9,465]

But I thought Trump was draining the swamp? How could there have possibly been any credible person in the Obama administration worth keeping? I mean, Obama was a liberal. And a Democrat. 

 

[CaliCat 3,957]

52 minutes ago, spookyturtle said:

But I thought Trump was draining the swamp? How could there have possibly been any credible person in the Obama administration worth keeping? I mean, Obama was a liberal. And a Democrat. 

 

That was campaign speech. He wallows in the swamp.