The White House remains supportive of Ronny L. Jackson as the nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement, The Washington Post reported.
"Admiral Jackson’s record of strong, decisive leadership is exactly what’s needed at VA to ensure our veterans receive the benefits they deserve," Gidley said in the Tuesday statement.
"Admiral Jackson has been on the front lines of deadly combat and saved the lives of many others in service to this country. He’s served as the physician to three presidents—Republican and Democrat—and been praised by them all," Gidley said in the statement.
Jackson, the White House chief physician, was scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Wednesday, but that hearing has been delayed over concerns about Jackson’s qualifications and oversight of the medical staff, The Post reported.
The Senate panel’s chairman, Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said the hearing would be "some time in the future, but not Wednesday," the report said.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the ranking Democrat on the committee, weighed in on the issue Monday, The Post reported.
"I can tell you we’re vetting out Jackson… I can’t get into specifics, but we’re doing our job to make sure he’s fit for the job," Tester said.