“This painful and tumultuous chapter for VA, and our nation’s veterans has come to an end. But the volatile, damaging saga continues. We now face the prospect of a stunning eighth nominee for VA Secretary since 9/11. After Secretary Shulkin’s volatile controversies and eventual exit consumed weeks of headlines, Rear Admiral Jackson’s controversies consumed even more. It’s been an unprecedented time of chaos, political agendas and uncertainty. And millions of veterans and their families have paid the price. Our community is exhausted by the unnecessary and seemingly never-ending drama. VA’s reputation is damaged, staff is demoralized, momentum is stalled and the future is shockingly unclear. Our veterans are simply looking for a competent, proven and dynamic leader with integrity that can lead our nation forward out of this storm of darkness and into a brighter future. Hundreds of thousands of IAVA members nationwide are standing by to help the President find and vet a man or woman who is up to this historic leadership challenge. In the meantime, we will continue to share our voices, unite our community and fill in the gaps as best we can. And we call on all Americans now to answer the call in this time of need and support our VA staff, our non-profit service providers and our veterans service organizations across America. All of us on the frontlines of veterans support, healthcare and empowerment need reinforcements now more than ever.”