Bennet Joins Senate to Confirm New VA Secretary

Press Release

Urges Secretary McDonald to Devote Attention to Structural Reforms, Completion of VA Hospital in Aurora

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today joined his Senate colleagues to confirm Robert McDonald as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA). Bennet met with McDonald earlier this month and stressed the importance of completing construction of the VA hospital in Aurora and fixing the systemic issues within the VA to provide veterans the care and services they've earned.

"We owe Colorado's veterans the benefits they've earned in a timely manner. They've sacrificed in service to our country and deserve nothing less," Bennet said. "Bob McDonald has the leadership qualities we need to fix the systemic issues at the VA, expand access to care in rural areas, and improve the process for building new health care facilities, like the VA hospital under construction in Aurora. These are priorities for Colorado's veterans, and I look forward to working with him to address them quickly."

Robert "Bob" McDonald is the former Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Procter & Gamble (P&G). He retired from P&G in June 2013 after 33 years with the company. He currently serves on the McKinsey Advisory Council, the Singapore International Advisory Council of the Economic Development Board, and on the boards of U.S. Steel and the Xerox Corporation. He previously served Vice Chair of the Business Roundtable, and was appointed by both President Bush and President Obama to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiation. In 2007, Mr. McDonald received the Leadership Excellence Award presented at the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership from the U.S. Naval Academy and Harvard Business Review, and has been recognized with the President's Leadership Award from the Far East Council of Boy Scouts. He served in the U.S. Army as a Captain, primarily in the 82nd Airborne Division and received the Meritorious Service Medal. Mr. McDonald received a B.S. in Engineering from West Point and an M.B.A. from the University of Utah.

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