Earlier this week, Veterans Affairs (VA) deputy secretary James Byrne was abruptly fired after serving less than five months in his position.
According to an article published in MilitaryTimes.com, “Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie abruptly fired the second-highest department official on Monday, saying he had lost confidence in his ability to perform the job. [In] a two-sentence statement announcing the change, Wilkie gave no reason for his decision.”
At the time of Byrne’s vote into his deputy secretary position, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Jon Tester, D-Mont., had stated that he was aware of the fact that Bryne had “ruffled feathers” in his dealings with Democratic on the VA Mission Act. According to sources, the reason for his firing was due to Wilkie’s “lack of confidence” in him.