Is Denis McDonough a Slow Reader?
When Denis McDonough became Joe Biden’s Veterans Affairs secretary in January 2021, it wasn’t because he had a history of neglecting to read high-level reports. Or failing to absorb the critical information they provide. Or dropping the ball on Capitol Hill, in the face of headline-hunting members of Congress.
A well-credentialed graduate of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, McDonough had previously served as both National Security Council chief of staff and then deputy national security adviser. Between 2009 and 2013, he kept President Obama fully briefed about global crises. After performing so well in those roles, McDonough became White House chief of staff during Obama’s second term. There, he helped advance the administration’s legislative agenda where possible and get presidential appointees approved. When Cabinet officers faced pesky questioning by members of Congress, McDonough made sure they were well prepared to answer them at oversight hearings. Yet when McDonough, at age 52, shifted from White House coach to VA Secretary, in 2021, his own congressional performances somehow got worse, not better. In a piercing new piece for The American Prospect, VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon and Steve Early dig into McDonough's strange and frustrating policy missteps before lawmakers.
