In a bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to confirm former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., as the next secretary of Veterans Affairs. The final vote was 77-23.
“Congratulations to Doug Collins on being confirmed as Secretary of Veterans Affairs!” the America First Policy Institute wrote on X. “A veteran, leader, and fighter for our heroes, Doug will ensure veterans receive the world-class care they deserve.”
Collins enjoyed widespread bipartisan support heading into Tuesday’s confirmation vote. His nomination was advanced (18-1) to the full floor by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Jan. 23, with the lone opposition vote coming from Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii.
The Senate voted 83-13 to invoke cloture on his nomination last week.
Despite receiving backing from Democrats, Collins’ nomination hearing was anything but a cakewalk. Several of the committee’s leftist members did everything in their power to turn the event into a spectacle focused on the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund the killing of unborn children.
Collins faced fearmongering questions from Hirono and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who probed the former congressman on whether he plans to scrap a Biden-era policy allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to “provide access to abortion counseling and — in certain cases — abortions to pregnant Veterans and VA beneficiaries.” State attorneys general and members of Congress have argued the rule violates federal law.
The policy was one of several anti-life actions the VA undertook during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Collins repeatedly affirmed that he intends to review the legality of the policy upon being confirmed to lead the agency. In response to a question from Hirono, Collins said, “My … position is based in the law, and I will follow the law in this regard.”
Using taxpayer money to promote abortion was hardly the only left-wing priority the VA pushed forward under the last administration, however.
The agency tasked with taking care of America’s veterans was engulfed in controversy last year after it was revealed VA employees were processing health care claims for illegal aliens. The department also got busted for issuing a memo instructing all VA officials to remove the iconic “V-J Day in Times Square” photo from all VA facilities due to an alleged lack of “inclusivity.” The memo was ultimately revoked following widespread public backlash.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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