[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 29, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5017-S5018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          McDonald Nomination

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I have been a Member of Congress in both 
the House and in the Senate, and in my entire time as a Member of 
Congress I have served on either the House or Senate Veterans' Affairs 
Committee. Over that time I have worked with nine Secretaries of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
  Today I am here to add my support and ask for the confirmation of 
someone who I believe will be the next Secretary of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, Mr. Bob McDonald.
  I had believed--I do believe--that a change at the Department of 
Veterans Affairs was necessary. I made clear that we needed to change 
the leadership at the top, and I believe this change is a good thing 
for the Department--the management of the Department, but, most 
importantly, for the veterans whom the Department is to serve.
  I also know a change in the leadership of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs in and of itself is insufficient to solve the problems our 
veterans are facing in access to health care and in the long time our 
veterans are required to wait to receive their benefits.
  I have met with Mr. McDonald in my office. I also, as a member of the 
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, had the opportunity to listen to 
him testify and to ask him questions in the confirmation process, and I 
was completely impressed by his candor, his sincerity, and certainly 
his commitment to serving our Nation's veterans. He is a leader in the 
tradition of the 82nd Airborne Paratroopers who are well regarded as 
the first to be called when there is a military emergency. As they say, 
when the President calls, the 82nd Airborne will answer. In my view, 
that is exactly what we have in Mr. McDonald. When the President 
called, he answered that call. He answered the opportunity to serve the 
veterans of this country.
  When the President needed help, he found someone, in my view, who 
will dutifully fulfill the responsibilities of being a Cabinet 
Secretary and work on behalf of our Nation's veterans.
  It seems to me there is no certainty in this world in which we know 
people for brief amounts of time, but it certainly seems clear to me 
that Mr. McDonald is the right person to lead the VA. He is willing and 
capable of restoring hope in veterans so they can trust the agency and 
the Department that was created for their benefit.
  I asked the President--I don't know that he ever saw my request or 
certainly never probably listened to my request, but the plea was 
please nominate someone from outside the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. This gentleman, Mr. McDonald, while having

[[Page S5018]]

military experience, has a significant background of being the CEO of 
Proctor & Gamble, and in that position he was well-known for his value-
based leadership, believing that ``the best companies and leaders 
operate with a clear purpose and consistent set of principles or 
values.''
  What the VA must do right now is to dismantle the bureaucracy, break 
down the culture of indifference, and review its commitment to the core 
values of the Department. There is no higher calling than to take care 
of the men and women who served our country.
  Mr. McDonald shares that dedication to making certain our veterans 
have access to quality care--the best our Nation can offer--and he is 
focused and ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead. At least he 
convinced me that is the case.
  There is now, fortunately, compromise legislation poised to pass both 
the House and Senate this week that will soon offer veterans more 
access to the quality care they deserve. Although this legislation is 
significant, it is impossible for Congress to mandate a change in 
attitude. Leaders can change attitudes at the Department. Congress does 
not have the power to control or develop a workforce that treats 
veterans like patriots, deserving care from a grateful nation, rather 
than to make them feel as though they are a burden.
  Leadership throughout the institution, starting with Bob McDonald at 
the top, must command the VA to head down a new path of redemption and 
hope. We must create an agency that is more cost-effective, more 
compassionate, and more caring toward the veterans it serves. The VA 
must become an agency that is worthy of the service and sacrifice of 
our Nation's veterans.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.

                          ____________________