Trump taps former congressman Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Washington, Nov 15 (IANS) President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of former Georgia congressman Doug Collins as the US Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Collins, an Air Force Reserve chaplain and military veteran, served in the US House from 2013 to 2021 and was a leading Republican voice on the House Judiciary Committee, fiercely defending Trump during his first impeachment proceedings in 2019, Xinhua news agency reported.

Trump's new Cabinet selections include several prominent Republicans who defended him during the impeachment proceedings.

Former New York congressman Lee Zeldin has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency; former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has been chosen as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director; and New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a staunch ally of Trump, is set to be nominated as the US Ambassador to the United Nations.

After his November 6 election win, Trump has been swiftly rolling out Cabinet nominations.

On Thursday, he selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who endorsed Trump after running as an independent in 2024, to lead the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department.

Earlier in the week, Trump announced congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general, Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as Defence Secretary, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security.

With a Republican majority in the Senate, which requires only a simple majority of 51 votes for confirmation, Trump faces fewer obstacles in advancing his Cabinet choices.

However, some of his nominations have sparked concerns, leaving it unclear whether they will receive full Republican backing.

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