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 opposition coming from Democrats.
He and seven other fired federal watchdogs have sued the White House over their dismissals, claiming they were done without proper reason or notification. That legal case is still pending.
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For months, the firings have drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who see them as an attempt to install administration-friendly officials in the key oversight offices. It has also generated extra scrutiny of Mason’s nomination, since she worked for several months alongside the senior VA leaders she will now be charged with investigating.
Ahead of Mason’s confirmation vote Thursday, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called her “one of the most partisan and least independents we’ve seen in nominees for an inspector general post in recent years.”
He questioned whether she could provide proper oversight for the department, noting her collaboration with Secretary Doug Collins on staffing reforms and her time spent advising Trump’s presidential transition team.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee in June, Mason pledged to be unbiased in her work looking into waste, fraud and abuse at the department and even-handed in her reports to Congress.
“I consider myself to be an impartial, independent aide to the department,” she said. “I am loyal to the veterans. That’s who I serve. That’s who I’m loyal to. I work for the president and the [VA] secretary, but also, if confirmed, I will work for this committee.”
Her confirmation had been stalled for several weeks by a series of Democratic holds, both over her qualifications and related to broader concerns about department cuts and public transparency.
Republican leaders in the Senate have spent most of this week — the last scheduled week of work until September for the chamber — forcing through a series of administration nominations blocked by the minority party.
Mason is the wife and daughter of military veterans and has been a public advocate for military spouse employment opportunities in the past. She worked on the Board of Veterans Appeals during both the first Trump administration and while President Joe Biden was in office.
She is expected to be sworn into the new role in coming days.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
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