If confirmed, Collins will have the monumental task of fixing a department that is already criticized for having slow response times, inadequate mental health support systems, and budget shortfall issues.

Former Rep. Doug Collins will have to address matters such as veteran homelessness, mental healthcare, and whether to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs if confirmed as its secretary, several veteran-adjacent leaders said.

The Senate has confirmed five members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet since he assumed office on Jan. 20, with five more ready for floor action in the coming days. The pace is faster than in 2017, the first time Trump had Republican control of Washington. By this point in his first term, only two were confirmed.

The majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate voted on Thursday night to advance the nomination of former Rep. Doug Collins, who in December 2020 signed an amicus brief seeking to invalidate former Joe Biden's victory the month before.

Collins, a former Georgia congressman, testified Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of Veterans Affairs

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee advanced the nomination of Doug Collins to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, paving the way for a vote by the full Senate.

WASHINGTON — Doug Collins testified before the U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs committee for his confirmation hearing to become the next Veterans Affairs Secretary. The hearing lasted for a few hours on Tuesday. Collins reaffirmed his commitment to put veterans first.

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.

At his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, former Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins vowed to put his military service front and center should he lead Veterans Affairs.

A year after the Inland Northwest became the testing ground for a new computer system that promised to revolutionize veterans' health care, leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs had received grave warnings from staff at Spokane's VA hospital and evidence that flaws in the software had contributed to serious patient harm.

President Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Doug Collins, Air Force Reserve colonel and former Georgia congressman, as VA secretary signaled a commitment to changing things for the better and prioritizing the millions of veterans who depend on the VA.