Trump Appoints Pamela Powers as Acting VA Deputy Secretary

President Donald Trump has selected Pamela Powers to serve the Department of Veterans Affairs' acting deputy secretary, making her accountable for the agency's electronic health record modernization program.

Powers will continue serving in her role as chief of staff, VA said in a press release. Trump would need the Senate's blessing if he wants to nominate Powers as the permanent deputy secretary.

Deputy Secretary James Byrne was fired in February after reportedly losing the confidence of his boss, Robert Wilkie, FedScoop reported Tuesday. 

Powers brings into her new role over three decades of executive-level experience in the Air Force and Department of Defense, VA said. She would be lawfully responsible for overseeing the department's spending on its $16B EHR project, which was partially paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.