The Senate confirmed former congressman Doug Collins as the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in a 77-23 vote on Feb. 4.

President Donald Trump’s VA nominee has served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force Reserve and would bring his experience as a military chaplain to the leadership role. Collins also has experience working with lawmakers, having represented Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District from 2013 to 2021.

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), speaking ahead of the vote, highlighted Collins’s past and continuing military service.

“I want a secretary who will put veterans first. I want a secretary who recognizes the VA’s importance in serving veterans and contributing to a safe and successful future for our nation, the success they had in uniform. I want them to have that success as a veteran, as a civilian, as a citizen,” Moran said. “Congressman Collins is that person.”

Collins garnered bipartisan support in the final senate vote, with 22 of the 45 Senate Democrats and the two independent senators—Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine)— supporting his confirmation.

During his confirmation hearing, Collins was questioned about his views on privatizing the VA’s services. He said he believes he can maintain a strong VA while still allowing veterans to find medical care through private providers in places and situations where VA care is lacking.

Collins also faced questions at his confirmation about whether the VA should continue to provide abortions for its beneficiaries.

In September 2022—following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—the VA announced an interim final rule stating it would provide abortion counseling and perform abortions in cases where the life or health of a pregnant mother is in danger, or a pregnancy arises from instances of rape or incest.

When asked for answers on that rule, Collins said he would review the policy to determine whether it complies with existing U.S. federal law. He did not commit to rescinding or preserving it.

During his confirmation hearing, Collins also vowed to improve accountability for underperforming VA employees and address department projects that have faced delays and costly development cycles.

One costly project Collins pointed to is the VA’s ongoing effort to implement an electronic health records system.

“That is a program now that went too many years and cost too many billions of dollars without finding a solution, and my commitment as one of the very first priorities, if confirmed, is to get in and figure out why,” he told senators at his confirmation hearing.