A confirmation hearing scheduled Wednesday for President Trump’s Veterans’ Affairs Secretary nomination has been postponed.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Dr. Ronny Jackson, currently Trump’s White House physician, had been accused of drinking at work and overprescribing drugs.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said his group voted almost unanimously to move the hearing after the allegations surfaced.
“The administration’s failure to vet thoroughly and properly its nominees, more than 20 of them by my count have been withdrawn, is a disservice to our nation,” Blumenthal said. “In this case, the failure to properly vet the VA secretary nominee is a real disservice to our nation’s veterans.”
Blumenthal said he didn’t want to get into specific allegations, but he said it’s now on the administration to thoroughly review Jackson’s case before the committee moves forward.Trump seemed to put some distance between Jackson and the position, Tuesday.
"I told Admiral Jackson just a little while ago, I said, 'What do you need this for?'" said Trump during a news conference in Washington D.C. where he welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron.
There has not been a date announced for a future confirmation hearing on Jackson’s nomination.
