Nominee to Be VA's Top Health Official Withdraws

Less than a week after Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki stepped down, President Barack Obama's nominee to fill a key undersecretary position withdrew his name for consideration, highlighting the continuing turmoil at the agency.

Jeffrey Murawsky, nominated on May 1 as undersecretary for health at the VA, withdrew his name, "citing the current confirmation environment," said a White House statement. "He believes this role is too important not to be filled quickly."

The position has been vacant since mid-May, when Robert Petzel was asked to resign his position following allegations employees had been tampering with patient-scheduling procedures and improperly reporting patient wait times. 

"We respect his request to withdraw his name for consideration," said a VA spokesman. "This is one of the most important jobs in the government right now. Once a new nominee has been identified, VA will urge Congress to move swiftly to confirm the nomination."

Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal.