Senate confirms top VA nominee after Sen. Grassley holdup

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed a top nominee to the Department of Veterans Affairs after a contentious blockade from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who objected to his consideration due to past ethics violations and other concerns at the department.

Joshua Jacobs was confirmed as the under secretary for benefits for the VA on a 74-25 vote, with all the no votes coming from Republicans, including Grassley.

Grassley last month held up the confirmation of Jacobs, whose nomination was easily advanced by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, by declining to join a unanimous voice vote and forcing a floor vote on the nominee.

The Republican senator objected over what he claimed were unanswered questions on “a series of scandals and breaches of public trusts” at the VA, including veterans claims backlogs and waitlists for veterans needing care at facilities.

Grassley was also concerned about previous conflict of interest violations under other VA officials and retaliation against whistleblowers.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough welcomed Jacobs on Wednesday after the vote, noting he will oversee 25,000 employees and the distribution of disability compensation for about 350,000 veterans and their families.

“Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors deserve world-class benefits for their service to our country, and there’s nobody better to lead VA in delivering those benefits than Josh Jacobs,” McDonough said in a statement.

“Josh is an excellent leader who has dedicated his career to advocating for Veterans — and under his leadership, I’m confident that VA will continue delivering more benefits, more quickly, to more Veterans than ever before,” McDonough added.

Jacobs was appointed acting under secretary of benefits last year after previously serving as a senior advisor in the Office of the Secretary of the VA and at defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

In his post as under secretary of benefits, Jacobs will also oversee implementation of the PACT Act, which was passed last year to expand benefits to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and other toxins.

Veterans have so far filed more than 500,000 claims through the act for exposure to toxins, according to the VA.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday said Jacobs was the “right man for the position.”

“As Senior Advisor at the VA, he’s already done great work pushing these benefits out the door,” Schumer tweeted.