Doug Collins, President Donald Trump's nominee for VA chief, passed a Senate cloture vote Thursday night and will proceed to a full vote on the Senate floor for confirmation.

If confirmed, Collins will have the monumental task of fixing a department that is already criticized for having slow response times, inadequate mental health support systems, and budget shortfall issues.

Former Rep. Doug Collins will have to address matters such as veteran homelessness, mental healthcare, and whether to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs if confirmed as its secretary, several veteran-adjacent leaders said.

The Senate has confirmed five members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet since he assumed office on Jan. 20, with five more ready for floor action in the coming days. The pace is faster than in 2017, the first time Trump had Republican control of Washington. By this point in his first term, only two were confirmed.

The majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate voted on Thursday night to advance the nomination of former Rep. Doug Collins, who in December 2020 signed an amicus brief seeking to invalidate former Joe Biden's victory the month before.

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.

Former Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a former Air Force Reserve chaplain, a veteran of the Iraq War and says he wants to improve veterans' services.

At his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, former Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins vowed to put his military service front and center should he lead Veterans Affairs.

President Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Doug Collins, Air Force Reserve colonel and former Georgia congressman, as VA secretary signaled a commitment to changing things for the better and prioritizing the millions of veterans who depend on the VA.

Veterans affairs secretary nominee Doug Collins pledged to be a fierce defender of the department’s workforce and for veterans during his senate confirmation hearing. The former Georgia congressman testified before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Tuesday after President Donald Trump picked him to lead the agency.

Doug Collins testified before the U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs committee for his confirmation hearing to become the next Veterans Affairs Secretary.

Former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins will appear before the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs committee for his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.