Acting VA Secretary Steps In Amid Weeks Of Turmoil, Low Morale Following Shulkin’s Departure
Robert Wilkie is filling the position as President Donald Trump's nominee awaits Senate confirmation. “[Wilkie] came in and said, ‘Look, guys, I wasn’t planning on being here, but I want to make a difference while I’m here,’" a senior VA official said.
The Washington Post:
VA’s Acting Secretary Takes Over: ‘I Don’t Think He Has Any Idea What He’s Gotten Himself Into’
Amid reports of slumping morale following last week’s ousting of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, the agency’s new acting head told employees Wednesday that he intends to refocus an organization beset by internal division. Robert Wilkie has been walking the halls of VA’s Washington headquarters, holding meetings with small groups of employees and inquiring about their duties, said a senior VA official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person is not authorized to speak with the media. In a three-minute video distributed to employees Wednesday, Wilkie, 55, emphasized the agency’s sacred mission of caring for those who have fought the nation’s wars. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 4/4)
