WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today applauded the Senate’s unanimous confirmation of Paul R. Lawrence, nominated to serve as undersecretary for benefits of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Joseph L. Falvey, Jr., nominated to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

“We are pleased that the Senate has unanimously confirmed these nominees to serve at the VA and on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims,” said Isakson and Tester. “Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Falvey each bring unique experience to their respective positions, and we’re confident that they will do great work on behalf of our nation’s veterans. We look forward to working with each of them in their new roles.”

The VA has been without a permanent undersecretary for benefits since October 2015. The undersecretary for benefits is the senior official within the Veterans Benefits Administration who oversees a variety of benefits and services to service members, veterans and their families.

Lawrence is currently vice president at Kaiser Associates and has three decades of experience solving management problems in federal government organizations.

Falvey is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and is currently serving as district counsel for the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has three decades of experience in academia and the practice of law.

With Falvey’s confirmation, the bench of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims will be full for the first time in nearly three years, improving the court’s ability to manage its caseload and provide veterans with timely resolution of cases.

The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing to consider the nominees on April 11, and the nominees were approved by the committee on April 18.

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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 armed services as well as more than 750,000 veterans.