Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough is one step closer to leading the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee unanimously approved his nomination, sending it to the full Senate for a vote. Senate leaders have not announced when they plan to bring the nomination to the Senate floor.
During a meeting Tuesday, committee Chairman Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said McDonough has "demonstrated an exemplary commitment to public service and a deep understanding that taking care of our veterans is a cost of war."
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"Though there is a great political divide in this nation, veterans across the country and members on both sides of the aisle are united by a very basic expectation: that the next VA Secretary be an individual of honesty, integrity, and vision," he added.
Committee Republicans told McDonough during his confirmation hearing Jan. 27 that they supported his nomination. If approved by the Senate, McDonough will succeed former Secretary Robert Wilkie. Dat Tran, the VA's principal deputy assistant secretary for the VA Office of Enterprise Integration, is currently serving as acting secretary.
"I will vote for your confirmation ... and I will ask my Republican colleagues to do the same," said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. "I look forward to working with you, and your commitment is evident to me, and I think we can accomplish a lot on behalf of those who served our nation working together."
If confirmed, McDonough would be only the second non-veteran to serve as VA secretary, after David Shulkin, a medical doctor who served the department under the administrations of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
A Minnesota native, McDonough graduated from Saint John's University, and he holds a master of science in financial services from Georgetown University. He worked as a staff member on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the late 1990s and was a foreign policy adviser to then-Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
McDonough served in the late 2000s as legislative director for then-Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo.
In the Obama administration, McDonough served as deputy national security adviser and later as White House chief of staff . He played a pivotal role in advising Obama during the scandal over VA medical appointments and turmoil over VA Secretary Eric Shinseki's resignation. He was also key to helping develop the Veterans Choice Act in response.
-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime
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