Senate confirms senior VA advisor to become next department watchdog

Veterans Affairs is getting a new permanent watchdog

Veterans Affairs is getting a new permanent watchdog. The Senate confirmed senior VA advisor Cheryl Mason to serve as the next VA inspector general. President Trump fired the last VA inspector general, Michael Missal, in January, along with 16 other agency IGs. Mason previously served as the first woman to chair the Board of Veterans Appeals.(A new watchdog is coming to Veterans Affairs - X)The Senate Committee on Appropriations has passed its 2…

Senate confirms senior VA advisor to become next department watchdog

Republican senators on Thursday confirmed senior Veterans Affairs advisor Cheryl Mason as the next top watchdog for Veterans Affairs programs, despite objections from Democratic lawmakers who questioned her ability to be an impartial investigator of the department. Mason — who previously served as the first woman ever to chair the Board of Veterans Appeals — was approved for the VA Inspector General post by a 53-45 margin, with all of the opposi…