Senate Confirms Former Procter & Gamble CEO as New VA Secretary
Former Procter & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald was confirmed earlier today by the United States Senate, 97-0, to replace Eric Shinseki as the new Veterans Affairs secretary. Shinseki resigned from the post in May after a scandal, involving multiple cover ups, hiding months long waiting lists for veterans seeking healthcare, rocked the agency earlier this year. Sloan D. Gibson was acting secretary in the interim.
McDonald is a 1975 West Point graduate who received a Meritorious Service Medal during his service with the 82nd Airborne Division of the United Stated Army. He joined Proctor & Gamble in 1980 and served as the company’s CEO from 2009 until 2013.
During his tenure, the maker of familiar household products like Bounty and Tide, was able to adapt to changing market conditions by growing its line of organic products and divesting itself of food and snack lines such as Pringles potato chips (which was sold to Kellogg).
In 2011 P&G was was fined over $300 million by the European Counsel in a price-fixing scandal for conspiring to fix the price of laundry soap. The judgement amount was lowered significantly because of McDonald’s decision to cooperate with the investigation. That move earned him praise among the business community.
Today’s vote comes as a $1.7 Billion bill to reform the agency, and add more doctors to reduce waiting times, heads into a conference committee between the House and Senate with passage expected later this week. McDonald will be charged with implementing the reforms and creating an environment in which VA hospitals no longer feel the need to falsify paperwork to meet quotas and actually work to give our veterans the best care.
Watch:
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Eric Trommater
A liberal living in Northern Virginia. Father of Two great kids. Former sports writer and movie critic.
8 responses to Senate Confirms Former Procter & Gamble CEO as New VA Secretary
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Eric Trommater July 29th, 2014 at 18:21
Well I guess I’ll start the thread on this one.
Eric Trommater July 29th, 2014 at 18:21
Well I guess I’ll start the thread on this one.
Carla Akins July 29th, 2014 at 18:46
I don’t know what to say about this, other than I hope he’s the right man for the job. Our Veterans deserve better.
Eric Trommater July 29th, 2014 at 18:51
I think his reputation as a micro manager is what attracted the Obama administration to him for this particular over haul job. He has a philosophy of taking care of small details and letting the big picture take care of itself that may come in hand in an agency that for two decades was run by big picture thinkers.
Carla Akins July 29th, 2014 at 18:46
I don’t know what to say about this, other than I hope he’s the right man for the job. Our Veterans deserve better.
Eric Trommater July 29th, 2014 at 18:51
I think his reputation as a micro manager is what attracted the Obama administration to him for this particular over haul job. He has a philosophy of taking care of small details and letting the big picture take care of itself that may come in handy in an agency that for two decades was run by big picture thinkers.
Jeff Allen July 30th, 2014 at 08:41
1%er’s, Wall Streeter’s, lobbyists, and greedy corporate fat cat’s are responsible for income inequality, the bad economy, and corrupt influence in Washington. So in order to protect the American people from further harm, I hire them to work in the White House.
Jeff Allen July 30th, 2014 at 08:41
1%er’s, Wall Streeter’s, lobbyists, and greedy corporate fat cat’s are responsible for income inequality, the bad economy, and corrupt influence in Washington. So in order to protect the American people from further harm, I hire them to work in the White House.