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Peake prepares to be sworn in as VA chief

President Bush said he is confident that his new secretary of veterans affairs “will build upon our record of improving care, reducing bureaucracy and ensuring that our veterans receive the benefits they deserve.”

His comments come as retired Army Lt. Gen. James Peake, unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Friday night to be the next secretary, is preparing for the formal swearing-in ceremony that will put him in charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs — at a time when it is not at all clear that care is improving, bureaucracy is being reduced or that veterans are getting earned benefits. Peake himself said reducing the growing backlog of claims, cutting waiting times for hospital care and smoothing the transition from military to civilian life were among the major challenges he will face.

Peake is expected to take the oath of office this week, but details on the timing of the swearing-in ceremony were not available, VA officials said.

In a statement, Bush described Peake, a West Point graduate and former Army surgeon general, as “a decorated veteran, highly skilled physician, and proven leader who has devoted his career to serving America's men and women in uniform.”

“His decades of expertise in combat medicine and health care management have provided him with a thorough understanding of the department’s responsibility to care for America's veterans,” Bush said.

Bush said one of Peake’s first tasks will be to “swiftly implement” recommendations from the Dole-Shalala Commission on Wounded Warriors.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Tex., said she and other senators have high hopes for Peake. “Having a physician for the first time to be the head of veterans’ affairs, I think, was a very wise choice by the president,” Hutchison said.