Robert Wilkie, secretary of veterans affairs and a 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, said he predicts his department’s programs would win the budgetary favor of the upcoming 2020 elections, Military Times reported Thursday.
The Department of Veterans is pursuing multiple technology reform efforts, such as the electronic health record, that require a higher budget, he said. Wilkie noted that VA will also need more funds to address supply chain reforms and keep up with Congress-imposed requirements.
“I don’t see how, no matter what is in store electorally, how anyone goes back on selling VA short in terms of the budget,†he said Thursday in an interview with Military Times.
The secretary noted the department’s development over time in terms of leadership, White House support and people’s recognition of VA’s changes.