(U.S. Senate) – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester today led a bipartisan Committee effort to advance Tanya Bradsher, the nominee to be the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Deputy Secretary, to the full Senate for consideration.

“The Department needs a steady, strong hand to tackle challenges and uphold its important mission to those who fought for our freedoms,” said Tester. “Tanya Bradsher’s background in both military and civilian service demonstrates that she’s well-qualified to serve as VA’s second-in-command, and if confirmed I look forward to holding her accountable in delivering for our nation’s veterans and their families.”

At a confirmation hearing earlier this month, Tester pressed Bradsher on her qualifications to tackle major challenges facing VA’s number two official—including overseeing the roll-out of the Electronic Health Record Modernization program and strengthening VA’s collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD) on the VA-DoD Joint Executive Committee.

Bradsher is a U.S. Army veteran who currently serves as the VA Chief of Staff. She has also worked in Congress, at the White House, the Defense Health Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security.