Rep. Walz approves of Shulkin as VA secretary

David Shulkin
David Shulkin, currently Veterans Affairs undersecretary for health leaves a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Monday.
Evan Vucci | AP

President-elect Donald Trump's choice for secretary of Veterans Affairs is expected to ease through the confirmation process with bipartisan support.

David Shulkin currently serves in the VA as undersecretary of health. He was appointed to that position by President Obama in 2015. That makes him Trump's first Cabinet nominee from the Obama administration.

Democrat Tim Walz represents Minnesota's 1st Congressional District and was elected Wednesday as the ranking Democrat of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. If Shulkin is confirmed, the two will be working together on reforming the second-largest government department, a department that has faced harsh criticism in recent years for poor medical care and long wait times.

MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Walz about the future of the VA.

Click on the audio player above to hear their conversations.

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