Duckworth Nomination Held Up By GOP Senator

WASHINGTON — A Republican senator has delayed President Barack Obama's nomination of Tammy Duckworth, an injured Iraq war helicopter pilot, to be an assistant secretary at the Veterans Affairs Department.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee didn't vote on the nomination Thursday because North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr asked that the panel hold off. Burr, the top Republican on the committee, wants Duckworth and the White House to answer some of his questions. Burr's spokesman, David Ward, would not say on Friday what the questions concerned.

"He's doing his due diligence ... to ensure that veterans have the best representation possible," Ward said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The committee chairman, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, called it a "disappointing setback."

"Tammy Duckworth is a talented and qualified nominee who has already given so much for her country and the veterans she serves," Akaka said.

Duckworth, a major in the Illinois National Guard, lost both her legs and partial use of one arm in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in 2004. She ran for Congress in 2006, but lost.

On Feb. 3, Obama nominated her to the position of assistant secretary of public and intergovernmental affairs. Her duties would include directing VA's public affairs operations, as well as programs for homeless veterans. Soon after her appointment, she stepped down from her position as the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, where she had worked since 2006.

On Thursday, the committee did approve the nomination of W. Scott Gould to be deputy VA secretary.

(This version CORRECTS to show Duckworth no longer director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.)

Comments

[cltclt]

I live in N.C. and Richard Burr has 30% approval rating here. That's worse than Elizabeth Dole who we ditched in November, he's as good as gone. He's following the strategy of playing to his base, which is probably 25% or so now. N.C. even went for President Obama this year which I thought would never happen. I've lived here since 1995 and N.C. has been red the whole time in presidential elections. Senators have been Republican or Democrat depending who ran the strongest campaign. Burr needs to get tha convertible ready to drive back home in.

[Wiregrasswarrior]

I guess all the "Chicken Hawk" Republikings have a thing for wounded vets !! Anyone remember the hatchet job on Max Cleland of Georgia. What a bunch of Shitheads.

[tbirdalum]

I doubt that you are doing this for your country. Are you related to Aaron Burr? We know what he is noted for and it was for something like TRAITOR. Get on with it, you crook.

[Cogs]

Somebody need to take charge of the GOP.

[Luke Moriarty]

This will be the third time Republicans have injured Duckworth -- Iraq, an Illiniois election and now this. These folks are indecent and should be hounded out of our public life.

[Chirp]

Ugh. More shamelessness. We see what you are doing d-bag Burr!

[V4Vigilance]

More b s from the party of NO. Way to support the troops @sshat!

[winningticket]

The headline should read, "Iraqi War Veteran Tammy Duckworth's Nomination Sandbagged by GOP Congresscreep".