Doug Collins is the 12th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, sworn in on February 5, 2025. A Republican with a track record of public service, Collins served as U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 9th district (2013–2021) and in the Georgia House (2007–2013). An Air Force Reserve chaplain since 2002, he deployed to Iraq in 2008 and was promoted to colonel in 2023. With a Master of Divinity and a Juris Doctor, Collins combines faith, law, and military experience in his mission to overhaul the VA by focusing on efficiency, transparency, and veteran care. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://ShawnLikesGold.com | 855-936-GOLD https://AmericanFinancing.net/SRS | NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org https://trueclassic.com/SRS Upgrade your wardrobe and save on @trueclassic at trueclassic.com/SRS ! #trueclassicpod https://ZipRecruiter.com/SRS https://ExpressVPN.com/SRS https://hometitlelock.com/SRS Go to https://hometitlelock.com/srs and use promo code SRS to get a FREE title history report so you can find out if you’re already a victim AND 14 days of protection for FREE! And make sure to check out the Million Dollar TripleLock protection details when you get there! Exclusions apply. For details visit https://hometitlelock.com/warranty https://Hillsdale.edu/SRS https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SRS | Download the app today and use code SRS Secretary Doug Collins Links: X - https://x.com/SecVetAffairs Call 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411) – This is always the right number to reach VA and available 24/7/365. Are you a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one? Dial 988 and Press 1 to reach the Veteran Crisis Line – confidential and standing by 24/7/365. More information: http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. Call 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) if you are a Veteran at risk of homelessness or a family member, friend, or advocate. Confidential and available 24/7/365. You may also chat online: National Call Center for Homeless Veterans - VA Homeless Programs Submit your question to https://ask.VA.gov/ if you prefer to digitally send VA sensitive or private information. Login to www.VA.gov or use the VA Health and Benefits Mobile App to directly message your health care provider. Schedule 1-on-1 virtual or in-person assistance with a VA Benefits Expert: https://va.my.site.com/VAVERA/ Find a VA facility near you: https://www.va.gov/find-locations/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Guys like me don't trust the VA. We just don't. You're not going to be getting your sex changed at the VA anymore. That's not what our services are for, and everything that we're taking money-wise away to that would take away from money that I could be spending on something else that are helping vets directly who are not even getting primary health care.
480,000 VA employees, and there are 450,000 active duty army. That's 30,000 more than the active army members. I hope you're taking this in, because I am the guy you're trying to reach. Secretary Collins, welcome to the show. Sean, glad to be here, bud. It's an honor to have you here. So, the new Secretary of the VA. Yep. Lots of stuff to work on.
It's a, what do you call it, a target-rich environment?
Yeah, I'll bet it is, probably even more than I know. But, so we got a bunch of stuff to talk about today, a whole lot of topics to cover, but I'm just, how did Secretary of the VA pop up on your radar?
Well, I think it comes about a lot of things. The president and I had known each other for a while. And when I was in Congress for eight years, especially those last few years, I was in leadership and I was the ranking member of the VA, not the VA committee, but the Judiciary Committee, which put me in close proximity to the president because we had to deal with the sham Russia stuff.
We had to deal with Mueller. We had to deal with impeachment. And so he and I got to know each other pretty well. And from my fighting during those days to keep the truth just out there about what we were seeing. And so we just had developed a closeness and we kept it up over the time when he was out. And when he started campaigning again, I would be out there and I'd show up.
And after a while, about a year or so ago, he said, look, I think you need to come with me. And he just said, you know, if you've ever been around him, he's just, I just want, you need to come with me. And this was a year out. And I said, Mr. President, I said, let's get you elected. We'll talk about whatever you want to.
And after that happened, we had some conversations and some other ideas that was thought about. But then... I had some ideas about this, and it came about, and I said, you know, this will be a good spot. It takes my career, takes my passions, and puts it in a position that is, as most well know, is a politically sensitive department because of Congress and everybody on the veteran thing.
I said, I think we can manage this because we're going to have to make some change that actually matters. And I said, we're going to have to work at it hard, and I think we can do that. So he agreed, brought me in. We discussed it for just a little while, and then I asked him when he said, he said, you want to do it? I said, yes, sir. I said, what do you want me to do, sir?
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