Confirmation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Veterans Affairs agency may be in jeopardy.
The Washington Post reported late Monday that Senate lawmakers have postponed the confirmation hearing for Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson after top Republicans and Democrats raised concerns about his qualifications.
Jackson was scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee for Veterans Affairs on Wednesday.
Two sources told CNN that committee members have been informed of allegations of improper conduct at more than one stage in Jackson’s career.
Jackson, who currently serves as Trump’s physician, is already facing scrutiny over his lack of experience managing an agency as large as the VA — the U.S. government’s second-largest agency.
Jackson gained a degree of fame unusual for White House physicians in 2017 when he took questions from the White House press corps on national television, discussing at length the president’s physical exam.
Trump, the oldest first-term president in American history, was plagued at the time by questions about his physical health, weight and mental stability. But Jackson gave the president top rating. “The president’s overall health is excellent,” Jackson declared at the time.
Trump picked Jackson to replace David Shulkin, a holdover from the Obama era.
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