WASHINGTON — Last week, Empower Oversight sent a letter co-signed by Whistleblowers of America to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman John Tester and Ranking Member Jerry Moran about the pending nomination of Tanya Bradsher—the current Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department—to become Deputy Secretary. In the letter, the groups detail evidence that Bradsher was involved in “stonewalling” oversight of the department as well as failure to protect veterans’ and whistleblowers’ confidential information.
“We are disappointed that the committee has thus far shown no interest in thoroughly vetting the nominee’s record despite the serious issues raised by these whistleblowers on her watch,” the letter said.
“Any confirmation process should be rigorous and thorough—not merely a rubber stamp. The Committee owes it to the public, veterans, and fellow senators to ensure that they are fully informed before exercising their constitutional advice and consent function. Accordingly, we respectfully urge you to probe these issues more deeply and publicly report on your findings before scheduling any further consideration of this nominee,” the letter concluded.
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