The next No. 2 official at the Department of Veterans Affairs has been approved by the Senate, making her the first woman to permanently hold the job of VA deputy secretary.
The Senate confirmed Tanya Bradsher in a 50-46 vote Tuesday. Republicans largely opposed Bradsher over allegations she did not adequately respond to concerns from whistleblowers and lawmakers that an IT system under her purview in her current job was exposing veterans’ personal information.
Bradsher has served as chief of staff at the VA since 2021. A Bronze Star recipient who served in Iraq from 2008 to 2009, she has built up a lengthy resume in government since retiring from the Army as a lieutenant colonel in 2013.
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Bradsher has worked at the National Security Council; the office of Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.; the Defense Health Agency; and the White House Office of Public Engagement, among other government roles.
“She has an impressive record of serving our country in and out of uniform, especially in her current role, which is VA chief of staff, where she has been critical in overseeing the department’s implementation of the PACT Act,” Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., said on the Senate floor Monday. “It is clear that she is qualified for the job and ready to hit the ground running to serve our nation’s veterans.”
As deputy…
