Paul Lawrence Named Deputy VA Secretary Following Senate Vote

PAUL LAWRENCE NAMED DEPUTY VA SECRETARY FOLLOWING SENATE VOTE

By Allison Kirschbaum

A former Army captain who served as VA's under-secretary for benefits in the first Trump administration got approved in a 51-45 vote, which is an unusual partisan split for a VA nominee.

Paul Lawrence was confirmed to be the next Veterans Affairs deputy secretary, as announced on Thursday by Senate lawmakers. Lawrence is expected to be sworn in as the number 2 leadership post at the department soon.

Who Is Paul Lawrence?

Paul Lawrence previously served as VA’s undersecretary for benefits during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. He was approved along party lines by a 51-45 vote.

At his confirmation hearing last month, he faced harsh questions from Democrats for the changes being put in place instead of his plans to restructure the department.

"I voted for Doug Collins, and I regret it," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said on the Senate floor this week. "I'm not making the same mistake as Paul Lawrence. There's no reason to believe he'll be any different, not to mention any better, because he's the deputy. I have respect for their service in the military, as I do for anyone who has worn the uniform, but I cannot, I cannot vote for Paul Lawrence, and I hope my colleagues will be as vigilant as I am seeking to be in voting against him."

He also received backlash over the dismissal of more than 1,000 department workers, since he is the second-highest ranking official at VA. Lawrence has denied most of the complaints, as he said he hasn’t been involved in the decisions made.

What This Appointment Means for Veterans

Paul Lawrence has promised to work closely with lawmakers to clarify how future employee moves will not affect department operations.

He also expressed that VA leaders are making informed moves to improve efficiency at the agency, as well as moving quickly with the ongoing electronic records overhaul issue.

“We can’t spend months again studying what’s going on and figuring it out,” he said. “Everything’s on the table. The goal is to come up with a plan that can be implemented and to implement that plan.”

Paul Lawrence has mentioned that he would make sure that outside officials, including DOGE, do not access Veterans’ benefits or health care information.

Challenges Facing the VA

There are many challenges within the VA, but one that is currently affecting them is the delay in processing claims.

With Paul Lawrence being confirmed for the position, he vowed to continue the implementation of the PACT Act, which is a law that expands Veterans' benefits eligibility for military toxic exposure injuries. Paul Lawrence also has to ensure that he fills the gaps to serve Veterans better in terms of quality care.

With the department planning to fire more than 80,000 employees this year, Lawrence will ensure that Veterans' services are protected as opposed to the order to "identify and eliminate waste, reduce management and bureaucracy, reduce footprint, and increase workforce efficiency."

The firings were "designed not to affect the provision of health care and benefits, and there was a safeguard where the first-level [Senior Executive Service] supervisors could opt somebody out of that process," Lawrence told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

What’s Next for the VA?

With Paul Lawrence confirmed as Deputy VA Secretary, people would be watching to see how he handles the job cuts at the department.

VA officials say these cuts won’t affect Veterans’ healthcare or benefits, but then some lawmakers and Veterans worry that they already have. Regardless, Lawrence promised to look into the issue and make sure that Veterans still get the support they need.

Lawrence will also have to review the firings to see if they were handled fairly.

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