On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs by a 77-23 vote. Collins told Newsmax on Thursday that his top priority is "reducing homelessness and the suicide rate that we are seeing right now among veterans."
Collins, an Air Force veteran who served as a representative for Georgia's 9th Congressional District, said one of his other main objectives is "getting our backlogs down and getting our health appointments up."
"And that is because we want an efficient way to make sure that the veterans who have their benefits get it officially and timely. When a veteran has to call somebody else, like a congressman or a senator to get the benefits they've already earned, then we're not hitting the mark. And then we're going to also look at updating our records management systems, our health record systems, those kind of things will help us [achieve that goal] as well," Collins said during an appearance on "Wake Up America."
Collins added that there is "nothing more pressing to my heart than" the epidemic of suicide and homelessness among veterans. "As someone who's actually counseled with those who have thought about ending their life — who've talked to them — this is a priority that you'll see from me because, again, our veterans need and deserve the care from the VA that they have earned already," Collins concluded.
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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