VA secretary to remain in role through end of term in January

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will continue in his role until President Joe Biden exits office in January, a VA official confirmed Thursday.

Until that time, McDonough is “fighting like hell” to help veterans get their earned benefits and health care, said VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes. A Bloomberg report Tuesday suggested the VA secretary would step down after the election, which is Nov. 5.

However, McDonough has no plans to leave his post early, Hayes confirmed.

It’s customary for presidents to ask all political appointees, including Cabinet members, to submit resignations at the end of their terms to “clear the decks for the new administration,” according to the Partnership for Public Service.

Cabinet members also submit resignations as a courtesy when presidents are reelected to allow second-term presidents the opportunity to make leadership changes and bring “fresh ideas,” the organization said.

McDonough’s plans after Biden leaves office Jan. 20 are unclear. It’s unlikely that former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, would seek to reappoint him, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has yet to share any potential plans for Cabinet posts.

Biden appointed McDonough, a former White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama, at the start of his term in 2021. McDonough came into the role as only the the second non-veteran ever to hold the post. At the time, Biden’s transition team described him as a “crisis-tested public servant” with “the empathy, the character, the integrity and ethics, and the relentless work ethic the position demands.”

McDonough is the VA’s 11th secretary and the longest-serving since retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki held the role from January 2009 to May 2014. Three secretaries served between the two, each holding the post fewer than three years.

In a statement Thursday, the VA lauded McDonough’s work at the department. Among the list of achievements shared by the agency was his efforts to implement the PACT Act, sweeping legislation that expanded health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxins, including chemical defoliants and burn pit smoke.

The VA said in May it had reached the milestone of approving one million claims made under the PACT Act. On July 19, the agency reported it had approved 1.1 million claims, with an approval rate of 75%.

“The PACT Act was supposed to phase in health care and benefits over several years, but VA decided to bring forward health care and benefits eligibility, thus allowing millions of veterans to get the benefits they deserve years earlier than they would have otherwise,” the VA said in a statement Thursday.

Among the other cited accomplishments was a policy McDonough implemented in 2023 to allow veterans to access emergency mental health care free of charge at any VA hospital or clinic, regardless of whether they were enrolled in VA health care. According to the department, 49,714 veterans used that benefit in its first year.

McDonough has faced some controversy during his time as secretary. Most recently, McDonough acknowledged in June “a series of massive mistakes” in the improper awarding of about $11 million in incentive bonuses to senior department officials last year.

Republican lawmakers questioned whether some senior leaders should be fired because of the scandal, which they said has undermined public faith in the department.

This story was produced in partnership with Military Veterans in Journalism. Please send tips to [email protected].