WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today applauded the bipartisan committee approval 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.

Following today’s unanimous vote by members of the committee, the nominations now move to the full Senate for a vote on confirmation.

“I’m proud to send two accomplished nominees to the full Senate for confirmation,” said Isakson. “Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Falvey each bring unique experience to the positions for which they have been nominated, and I am confident that they will do well in their future roles. I urge the full Senate to quickly approve these nominees so they can get to work serving our nation’s veterans.”

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, nominated to a 15-year appointment as a judge on the VA claims court, 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.

If Falvey is confirmed, 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.

Isakson chaired a committee hearing to consider the nominees on April 11, 2018.

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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 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 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.