Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I have been a Member of Congress in both the House and in the Senate, and in my entire time as a Member of Congress I have served on either the House or Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Over that time I have worked with nine Secretaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Today I am here to add my support and ask for the confirmation of someone who I believe will be the next Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Bob McDonald.

I had believed--I do believe--that a change at the Department of Veterans Affairs was necessary. I made clear that we needed to change the leadership at the top, and I believe this change is a good thing for the Department--the management of the Department, but, most importantly, for the veterans whom the Department is to serve.

I also know a change in the leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs in and of itself is insufficient to solve the problems our veterans are facing in access to health care and in the long time our veterans are required to wait to receive their benefits.

I have met with Mr. McDonald in my office. I also, as a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, had the opportunity to listen to him testify and to ask him questions in the confirmation process, and I was completely impressed by his candor, his sincerity, and certainly his commitment to serving our Nation's veterans. He is a leader in the tradition of the 82nd Airborne Paratroopers who are well regarded as the first to be called when there is a military emergency. As they say, when the President calls, the 82nd Airborne will answer. In my view, that is exactly what we have in Mr. McDonald. When the President called, he answered that call. He answered the opportunity to serve the veterans of this country.

When the President needed help, he found someone, in my view, who will dutifully fulfill the responsibilities of being a Cabinet Secretary and work on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

It seems to me there is no certainty in this world in which we know people for brief amounts of time, but it certainly seems clear to me that Mr. McDonald is the right person to lead the VA. He is willing and capable of restoring hope in veterans so they can trust the agency and the Department that was created for their benefit.

I asked the President--I don't know that he ever saw my request or certainly never probably listened to my request, but the plea was please nominate someone from outside the Department of Veterans Affairs. This gentleman, Mr. McDonald, while having military experience, has a significant background of being the CEO of Proctor & Gamble, and in that position he was well-known for his value-based leadership, believing that ``the best companies and leaders operate with a clear purpose and consistent set of principles or values.''

What the VA must do right now is to dismantle the bureaucracy, break down the culture of indifference, and review its commitment to the core values of the Department. There is no higher calling than to take care of the men and women who served our country.

Mr. McDonald shares that dedication to making certain our veterans have access to quality care--the best our Nation can offer--and he is focused and ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead. At least he convinced me that is the case.

There is now, fortunately, compromise legislation poised to pass both the House and Senate this week that will soon offer veterans more access to the quality care they deserve. Although this legislation is significant, it is impossible for Congress to mandate a change in attitude. Leaders can change attitudes at the Department. Congress does not have the power to control or develop a workforce that treats veterans like patriots, deserving care from a grateful nation, rather than to make them feel as though they are a burden.

Leadership throughout the institution, starting with Bob McDonald at the top, must command the VA to head down a new path of redemption and hope. We must create an agency that is more cost-effective, more compassionate, and more caring toward the veterans it serves. The VA must become an agency that is worthy of the service and sacrifice of our Nation's veterans.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

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