Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Foot-Dragging On Ronny Jackson Hearings Is The Right Step; VA Needs A Leader: Jackson Fits The Mold
Bloomberg: Stalling Trump’s Picks? Sounds Prudent, Actually
On Monday morning, Donald Trump complained about Democratic delays in the confirmation of his executive branch and judicial nominees. On Monday night, it appeared that his nomination of Ronny Jackson for Secretary of Veteran's Affairs was potentially falling apart. You know what? Given the track record of Trump's nominees, Democratic foot-dragging on Trump's selections seems absolutely appropriate. (Jonathan Bernstein, 4/24)
The Washington Post: VA Doesn’t Need A Manager. It Needs A Leader.
As senators consider the nomination of the next secretary of veterans affairs, they should first reflect on the story of an Army veteran named Jason White. White served our country in Afghanistan, where he was severely injured by an IED explosion. His spine was crushed, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury, but thanks to the skill and training of our nation’s brave combat medics, he survived. Yet on his return to the home front, he battled the hidden wounds of war — insomnia, depression and the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. He was not alone. Four members of his unit killed themselves after they got home. And after struggling with his mental and physical wounds for five years, White decided to do the same. One day in 2016, he came home, put a pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. (Marc A. Thiessen, 4/24)
The Wall Street Journal: Ronny Jackson In The Mosh Pit
Operations when death is all but assured are called suicide missions, and it’s beginning to look as if Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson was sent on a political version. The nominee to run Veterans Affairs has been under siege from the agency’s bureaucracy, anonymous press leaks, and on Tuesday even friendly fire from the President who nominated him.The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on Tuesday postponed Dr. Jackson’s Wednesday confirmation hearing amid allegations of misconduct during his nearly five-year tenure as physician to the President. The charges have been mostly vague and anonymous, such as running a hostile work environment, which could mean anything or nothing. (4/24)
The New York Times: Flattery Got Ronny Jackson Only So Far
It’s hard to argue that any one cabinet member or nominee tells the Donald Trump story better than another, but I’m tempted to say exactly that about Ronny Jackson, the president’s hasty, irresponsible and — the way things are looking now — doomed choice to lead the Veterans Affairs Department. (Frank Bruni, 4/24)
San Francisco Chronicle: Dr. Ronny Jackson Lacks The Resume To Run The Veterans Affairs Agency
Whether the rumored personal flaws are true or not, Ronny Jackson shouldn’t be President Trump’s pick to run the Veterans Affairs Department. The agency, one of Washington’s biggest, demands a health care manager, not a personal favorite of the president. (4/24)
The Washington Post: Trump Can Blame Democrats All He Likes, But His Nominee Problems Start With Him
“Democrats are obstructing good (hopefully great) people wanting to give up a big portion of their life to work for our Government,” President Trump tweeted last week. “They are ‘slow walking’ all of my nominations — hundreds of people. At this rate it would take 9 years for all approvals!” Echoed by Trump surrogates and other Republicans, this was just the latest of Mr. Trump’s regular attempts to shift the blame for his understaffed government onto Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). And foot-dragging Democrats surely bear some responsibility. But as Mr. Trump’s latest nomination fiasco unfolds at the Department of Veterans Affairs, it becomes ever more obvious where most of the blame lies. (4/24)
The Washington Post: Make No Mistake, Trump Just Cut Ronny Jackson Loose
President Trump just dumped White House physician Ronny L. Jackson, his ill-chosen nominee to become the Veterans Affairs secretary. ...Jackson, a Navy rear admiral, was a poor selection from the start, given his lack of experience at running anything that resembles the gargantuan agency that features more than 375,000 employees and a budget that exceeds $185 billion. Then came word late Monday that his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs was being delayed because of allegations the panel received regarding Jackson’s oversight of the White House medical staff, as well as his conduct while in that job. (Karen Tumulty, 4/24)
