WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, attended the swearing-in ceremony for VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, a native of Fayetteville and former Senior Advisor to Senator Tillis.

“I was honored to attend the swearing-in ceremony for VA Secretary Robert Wilkie and I want to congratulate him and his wonderful family on this well-deserved accomplishment. Robert is one of the most honorable and decent human beings I’ve ever worked with, and anyone who knows him has seen his drive to serve his country and his passion for honoring our nation’s veterans and servicemembers, qualities that will be tremendous assets at the VA,” said Senator Tillis. “Secretary Wilkie received overwhelming bipartisan support from the Senate, and he will undoubtedly hit the ground running in order to improve morale at the VA and build close relationships with VSOs, members of Congress, and rank and file VA staff. I look forward to working closely with Secretary Wilkie to overhaul the VA and making it a more efficient and effective organization that delivers timely and high-quality care for all veterans.” 

Background on Robert Wilkie:

Robert Wilkie, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, most recently served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, confirmed unanimously by the Senate in November 2017. Wilkie served as Senator Tillis’ senior advisor since Tillis took office in 2015 until late 2017, advising him on national security, military, and veterans affairs issues. Wilkie previously served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs under Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld. He also served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush for National Security Affairs and as Senior Director of the National Security Council under Dr. Condoleezza Rice. 

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