Robert Wilkie, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, is set to the lead the massive Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system that includes 9 million people across 1,700 centers.
The Senate voted on Monday 86 to 9 to confirm President Donald Trump's pick Wilkie as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
“We know that Robert Wilkie is the real deal,” said Sen. Johnny Iskason, Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
“We know some of the things we've gone through now have a chance to be overridden and solved,” Iskason said. “We no longer want someone who is going to make excuses for the VA, we want someone who will give results.
Trump, who nominated Wilkie for its life dedication to serving the country, lauded the Senate after his confirmation.
"He has displayed great patriotism and a commitment to supporting and empowering America's armed forces and veterans," Trump said in a statement. "Under his leadership, I have no doubt that the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to make strides in honoring and protecting the heroic men and women who have served our nation with distinction."
Yet, Wilkie was voted against by nine senators. It's the first time since the VA Secretary became a cabinet-level position that senators voted against a president's choice for the position, according to research from the Military Officers Association of America.
The dissenting senators were Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Bernie Sanders, D-Vt.; Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; and Ed Markey, D-Mass.
“I think the message it sends is that the Senate minority doesn't intend to rubber stamp any decisions made by the administration, even when it comes to veterans issues,” said Marine Lt. Col. Aniela Szymanski, MOAA's director of government relations for veterans benefits. “Wilkie will have to ensure that he runs a tight ship because any misstep will be noticed and acted on by Congress.”
Earlier this month, Wilkie's nomination moved through the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) was the lone opposition, marking the first time in committee history a member voted against a VA secretary nominee.
In March, David Shulkin was forced out as the secretary, and Wilkie was moved up from the Department of Defense's undersecretary for personnel and readiness to serve as the acting secretary. He had to step down to go through the confirmation process.
Wilkie's nomination was a surprise announcement Trump made during a press conference in mid-May. Trump did not even tell Wilkie before making the announcement to reporters.
In June, the VA released a ranking list of its nursing homes in an effort to highlight improvements since many were rated subpar last spring. Wilkie will be tasked with straightening out the VA, which in recent months has come under public scrutiny and dealt with leadership turnover.
Wilkie brings his experience of more than 20 years serving the nation, including roles with Defense Secretaries Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld and with the National Security Council Secretary Condoleezza Rice.
Amanda Dolasinski is MOAA's staff writer. She can be reached at amandad@moaa.org. Follow her on Twitter @AmandaMOAA.