Former congressman from Gainesville Doug Collins was selected by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday.
AccessWDUN spoke with Collins on Friday.
“It means a lot. I mean as someone who served in the military over 25-plus years, who’s been in Congress, who dealt with the Veterans Affairs issues for a long time … it’s something that was very close to my heart while in Congress,” Collins said. “Our commitment to our veterans is something that we should take very seriously.”
Collins called it a bipartisan issue and that he has gotten reached out by senators giving him their support. That includes Jerry Moran, a senator from Kansas who is the chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
“I think Donald Trump’s emphasis on veterans and emphasis on taking care of veterans is going to be something first and foremost in my mind and my priorities,” Collins said. “I;m looking forward to it because we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Collins’ appointment will need senate approval after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 of next year.
