At 10am EST tomorrow morning, General Eric Shinseki, President-elect Obama’s choice for VA Secretary, will try to convince Congress he’s the right person for the job.
In advance of the hearing, IAVA released ten crucial questions that Congress needs to ask the nominee. And I’m going to be live-blogging about the hearing straight from DC, watching to see what issues are addressed.
Click here to follow along with my commentary in real time.
If he’s confirmed, General Shinseki will be facing an urgent and critical fight to improve support for our nation’s veterans. As a wounded and decorated combat veteran, and the first Asian-American in US history to be a four-star general, he has the potential to lead the second-largest bureaucracy in the US government into the 21st century.
However, the challenges facing today’s veterans are radically different than the issues faced by previous generations. General Shinseki must demonstrate knowledge on issues ranging from implementation of the new GI Bill to providing the best health care possible for our newest generation of heroes.
All of this makes Wednesday morning’s hearing one of the most important events for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in a long time. As an Iraq veteran who was wounded in combat, I’m looking forward to watching the process unfold.
Click here for our top ten questions for General Shinseki and live commentary during the hearing.
Thank you for standing with us.
Sincerely,
Todd Bowers
Iraq Veteran
Director of Government Affairs
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)