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GORDON MANSFIELD TAKES OVER AS ACTING
VA SECRETARY -- Deputy Secretary steps up
until new Secretary is nominated.
Gordon Mansfield, Acting VA Secretary
Gordon Mansfield, once Deputy VA Secretary
(#2), is now the Acting VA Secretary until the White House nominates
someone to become VA Secretary.
Of course, this begs the question, why wasn't
Mansfield nominated? Or, was he, and he declined the nomination?
We just don't know at this point in time.
What powers does an Acting Secretary have?
The same power as the Secretary.
So, we wait for a nomination. Some say
the White House will wait until the next recess to just appoint a
Secretary so there will be no Senate confirmation process.
Stay tuned.
For more about Gordon Mansfield, use the VA Watchdog search
engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/
sessearch.php?q=gordon
+mansfield&op=and
The official announcement came from a VA press
release.
VA press release here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/
07/vap07/vap092807-1.htm
Press release below:
-------------------------
Gordon H. Mansfield To Become Acting Secretary
of Veterans Affairs
September 28, 2007
WASHINGTON - - Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield
will become the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs following the
resignation of Secretary Jim Nicholson. Secretary Nicholson tendered his
resignation to President Bush on July 17, 2007, to be effective no later
than October 1, 2007.
Mansfield assumes the role on October 1 under the terms of the Federal
Vacancies Reform Act, where a Deputy Secretary begins to serve as the
acting officer immediately and automatically upon the occurrence of the
vacancy. Mansfield will serve as Acting Secretary until the next nominee
of the President is confirmed by the United States Senate.
Appointed by President Bush in November 2003, Deputy Secretary Mansfield
served as the chief operating officer for the federal government’s
second largest department, responsible for a nationwide system of health
care services, benefits programs and national cemeteries for America’s
veterans and their dependents.
He previously served as VA Assistant Secretary for Congressional and
Legislative Affairs since August 1, 2001, serving as the legislative
advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was responsible for
VA’s Congressional relations and representing VA programs, policies,
investigations and legislative agenda to Congress.
Prior to joining VA, Mr. Mansfield served as executive director of the
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) since April 1993. In that position,
the highly decorated Vietnam veteran oversaw daily operation of PVA’s
national office in Washington, D.C. Mr. Mansfield held a number of
positions at PVA from 1981 to 1989, and served as the organization’s
first associate executive director of Government Relations.
Mr. Mansfield served as Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal
Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1989
to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush’s Administration. Prior to
1981, he practiced law in Ocala, Fla.
Mr. Mansfield received his undergraduate degree from Villanova
University and law degree from the University of Miami. Following his
1964 enlistment in the Army, Mr. Mansfield served two tours of duty in
Vietnam. While serving as company commander with the 101st Airborne
Division during his second tour, he was wounded during the Tet Offensive
of 1968 sustaining a spinal cord injury. For his actions while his unit
was under fire, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross,
the second highest personal decoration for valor in combat. He was
medically retired by the U.S. Army at the grade of Captain. His other
combat decorations include the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the
Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Presidential Unit Citation.
Mr. Mansfield is a recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Service
Award and the Villanova University Alumni Human Relations Medal. He was
inducted into the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in
1997.
-------------------------
Larry Scott --
