CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will nominate former Congressman Doug Collins to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform,” Trump said in a statement Thursday. “Doug is a great advocate for active-duty service members, veterans, and military families, ensuring they get the help they need.” It will be,” he said.
The selection is the latest nod to House Republicans who remained deeply loyal during the most difficult period of President Trump’s first term. As the former top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, Collins was on the front lines defending the party from multiple attempts to monitor the then-president, including during his first impeachment.
Mr. Collins is an attorney, Iraq veteran, and current Air Force Reserve chaplain. As Secretary of Veterans Affairs, he will take over a major agency responsible for caring for the interests of more than 16 million veterans, from education benefits to mortgages, medical care, funerals and disability payments. .
The Veterans Administration oversees the nation’s largest integrated health care system, consisting of more than 170 medical centers and more than 1,000 other treatment facilities.
Collins, who represented Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021, was appointed as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee in 2019. In that role, he led the Republican prosecution of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. This is Trump’s first impeachment trial.
Collins also faced backlash for defending the then-president against fellow senators. In 2020, he responded to questions about Democratic efforts to limit President Trump’s war powers in the wake of the assassination of Iranian general Soleimani, accusing Democrats of being “in love with terrorists” and publicly apologizing.
He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2020, running against then-Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, but ultimately lost his seat to a Democratic opponent. While running for office, Collins received support from some of the biggest names in the MAGA movement and toured the Trump Defenders Statewide Tour with then-Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz.
Gaetz was previously announced as President Trump’s choice to be the next attorney general.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Haley Britzky contributed to this report.
