WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today released the following statement regarding President-elect Donald J. Trump’s announcement of his intent to nominate Dr. David Shulkin as secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Shulkin is currently serving as the Under Secretary for Health at the department.

“There is a tremendous amount of work to be done – by the VA and by Congress – to change the paradigm at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Isakson. “Dr. Shulkin understands the critical importance of working hand-in-hand with Congress on enacting meaningful, bipartisan reforms to help right the ship at the VA. I congratulate Dr. Shulkin on his nomination, and I look forward to chairing his confirmation hearing and discussing our shared priorities to ensure the VA is putting veterans first.”

The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing on Dr. Shulkin’s nomination in the coming weeks.

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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 115th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.