A former U.S. congressman, the Gainesville, Georgia, native also serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Collins sailed through the confirmation process with ease and garnered support from lawmakers on both sides, except for Senator Mazie Hirono who opposed him during the final vote.
Doug Collins has successfully been appointed as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs! 🇺🇸 With a background as a veteran and advocate, Collins is committed to ensuring that veterans receive top-notch care. #VeteransFirst #VAConfirmed @RepDougCollins pic.twitter.com/rj6JLX1NKv
— America First Policy Institute (@A1Policy) February 4, 2025
Collins will face many challenges in his new role:
If confirmed as VA secretary, Collins would oversee a beleaguered system of healthcare and benefits for the nation’s veterans.
Issues like lengthy wait times for appointments, limited access to healthcare outside VA facilities, insufficient mental health resources, and funding gaps have persistently affected previous secretaries under various administrations, regardless of party affiliation.
Honored to accept @realDonaldTrump nomination as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Our heroes deserve the best care and support.
We’ll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they’ve earned.… pic.twitter.com/StWK0XcYAm
— Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) November 14, 2024
Together, we’ll make the VA work for those who fought for us. Time to deliver for our veterans and give them the world class care they deserve.
He has a fan in Dr. Damon Friedman, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel in special operations, who wrote in a November RedState guest editorial:
President-Elect Donald Trump’s new pick for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, is going to make America’s heroes healthy again.
Just ask any veteran, they’ll tell you a horror story about the VA’s bloated bureaucracy and ingrained incompetence. Veterans wait months for appointments, going without needed treatment and medications, and endure the disgrace of national neglect for those who fought, bled and sacrificed for the freedoms of our nation…
Collins said he was honored to accept Trump’s nomination and that “our heroes deserve the best care and support.”
As a former military chaplain, Collins understands the critical component of spirituality. To save lives, you must treat the whole person, which includes the soul…
On X, Collins said, “Together, we’ll make the VA work for those who fought for us. Time to deliver for our veterans and give them the world class care they deserve.”
Doug Collins puts our veterans first and fights for their access to timely and quality local healthcare. His commitment to the law and servant leadership is exactly what the @DeptVetAffairs needs to stay on mission. I look forward to working with Doug in his new position. pic.twitter.com/cvOimvgN6X
— Senator Kevin Cramer (@SenKevinCramer) February 4, 2025
Collins becomes the latest of Trump’s Cabinet picks to be confirmed, joining Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and others. Still in the on-deck circle: Health and Human Services Secretary nominee RFK Jr. (who advanced out of the Finance Committee Tuesday by a 14-13 vote), FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard.
Notch another win for Donald Trump.
