I met with the President’s nominee to lead the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs this week, and I believe Robert McDonald – an Army veteran and the retired CEO of Procter & Gamble – is the right man for the job. His military service and management experience are exactly what we need to transform the VA so we can make sure we’re providing our veterans with the medical care and other benefits they have earned.

The Senate will vote in coming days on Mr. McDonald’s nomination, and talks are continuing between House and Senate negotiators on immediate steps Congress should take to begin fixing problems and restoring confidence at VA.

Senator Warner meets with Robert McDonald, nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

I spoke with Mr. McDonald about two Virginia-based initiatives that could help the VA at no cost to the taxpayers. The William & Mary law school’s Puller Veterans Clinic dramatically speeds up the processing time for handling veteran disability claims. We’ve successfully fought to win the VA’s endorsement of the Puller Clinic program as a “national model,” and we’ve now expanded it to 15 other law schools. I told Mr. McDonald I look forward to working with him and the VA to expand this pro bono program nationwide.

I also encouraged him to quickly embrace a pro bono offer from several leading technology firms in Northern Virginia to help assess and recommend solutions to fix the VA’s troubled patient scheduling system. We’ve effectively used this model before: In 2010, after shocking reports surfaced about mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery, these private-sector IT experts volunteered assistance to assess Arlington’s data management challenges. Many of these same Virginia companies stand ready and willing to assist the VA right now.

I was impressed that Mr. McDonald promised that within the first 90 days of his tenure, he would deliver the needed reforms our military veterans deserve. Virginia is home to more than 800,000 veterans, and keeping our commitments to them and their families has always been a top priority of mine.

I will keep you updated on our efforts to fix the VA.