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US President Donald Trump is considering a lobbyist to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Photo: Reuters

Trump considers lobbyist for veterans post after his previous pick withdrew

Trump will interview Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida who served in Congress from 2001 to 2017 before retiring, for the Veterans Affairs post this week, according to a White House official

Donald Trump

President Donald Trump is considering the former chairman of the US House of Representatives Veterans Affairs Committee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs after his previous pick withdrew under fire, a White House official said on Wednesday.

Trump will interview Jeff Miller, a fellow Republican from Florida who served in Congress from 2001 to 2017 before retiring, for the VA post this week, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida who served in Congress from 2001 to 2017 before retiring, is being considered by Trump for the top Veterans Affairs job, according to a White House official. Photo: Library of Congress

Miller currently works as a lobbyist for the firm McDermott Will & Emery.

White House physician Ronny Jackson, Trump’s personal doctor, withdrew from consideration for the job after facing allegations that he had been lax with providing prescription drugs and drank alcohol on the job.

Representatives for Miller at the firm did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Miller did not immediately respond to request for comment by email.

A former state lawmaker, Miller took on the Veterans Affairs committee chairmanship in 2011 and targeted benefit claim backlogs at the department as well as waste and mismanagement.

He headed the panel during the VA’s controversy over long wait times for veterans to receive medical care that led to the 2014 resignation of Democratic former President Barack Obama’s VA secretary, Eric Shinseki.

White House physician Ronny Jackson, Trump’s personal doctor, has withdrawn from consideration for the Veterans Affairs post. Photo: AP 

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During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to clean up the VA, which oversees health care and benefits for about 20 million military veterans, a constituency with considerable political clout. 

Trump fired his first VA secretary, David Shulkin, in March after concerns about unauthorised travel expenses.

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