UNDER SECETARY OF VA BENIFITS

NMDVS Secretary Garcia Accepts Invitation by VA Secretary Shinseki

to Join Search Commission

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services Cabinet Secretary John M. Garcia has accepted an invitation by U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki to serve on a special Search Commission tasked with recommending candidates for the vacant post of VA Under Secretary for Benefits.

The Commission will be conducting its candidate interviews March 24-26 in Washington, D.C.

According to federal law, the Commission must recommend at least three candidates to the VA Secretary, who in turn forwards this final list along with his input to the President of the United States. The President then makes his choice, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

“I am extremely honored by Secretary Shinseki’s invitation to serve on this commission,” said NMDVS Secretary Garcia.  “The Commission has a very important task to perform because the position to be filled is one of the most critical within the structure of the VA system.”

The Under Secretary for Benefits reports directly to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on non-medical Veterans’ benefits matters.  The Under Secretary oversees the management of a $45 billion budget and a staff of 15,000.  On the organization chart, the two largest portfolios are managed by the Under Secretary for Health, who runs all the VA hospitals and clinics, and the Under Secretary for Benefits, which oversees all major benefit programs outside the health arena, including pension and disability benefits, GI Bill benefits for college, home loan guarantees, life insurance and more.

Other benefits managed by the office include the monthly payments for disabled veterans, pensions for low-income veterans who served in wartime, educational programs, VA home loans (allowing many veterans to take out mortgages without a down payment), group life insurance at low cost, and vocational rehabilitation.