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(Washington, DC) U.S. Senator Richard Burr and his colleagues voted today to move the nomination of Paul J. Hutter to the floor of the U.S. Senate for final confirmation. Hutter has been nominated by President Bush to be the next General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

"Next to the Secretary and perhaps the Deputy Secretary, there is no one else at the Department of Veterans Affairs whose job touches all aspects and operations of the VA like the General Counsel. I met with Mr. Hutter earlier and found him to be a qualified nominee for this important job. I was pleased to support his nomination today," said Burr (R-North Carolina), the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Full Senate action on Hutter's nomination could come later this week.

The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing on Hutter's nomination last week. Hutter has been serving as the Acting General Counsel for the past year. He is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he served as a Judge Advocate for thirty years. Earlier in his career he was an Assistant Regional Counsel at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Hutter received his bachelor's degree from Rice University and his master's degree from Pepperdine University. He also received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Santa Clara and an advanced law degree from the Judge Advocate General's School.

The VA General Counsel's office supervises 650 employees in Washington, DC, and operates 22 field locations across the United States.

To see photos taken at the hearing, click on: Hutter nomination hearing

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