U.S.

VA Candidate Grilled on Vet Suicides

By Pia Malbran

December 5, 2007 / 4:03 PM EST / CBS News

The man nominated to be the next Veterans Affairs Secretary, James Peake, was asked about the results of CBS News investigation into veteran suicides during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee today.

Peake – a retired Army lieutenant general and medical doctor – answered a variety of questions posed by U.S. Senators dealing with everything from the VA budget to claim delays to mental health issues.
Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash. asked Peake to comment on the issue of suicide prevention while citing our report that aired Nov. 13. Click the box above to watch his response.

During the hearing, Peake vowed to improve care for veterans if confirmed as the new head of the VA. He received a bipartisan introduction to the committee from two well-known war heroes: former Senator Bob Dole and Senator Daniel Inouye, D-Ha.

The committee will now need to vote on Peake's confirmation which could happen before the end of the year and then the nomination heads to the Senate floor. A Senate Veterans Affairs staffer told CBS News the nomination appears to be a "shoo-in."