AP Exclusive: Buttigieg would pick VA's 1st female secretary
WASHINGTON, DC Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says if elected he'd like to name a woman to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs for the first time as 2020 hopefuls take aim at President Donald Trump's record on stemming military suicide and helping female vets.
On Veterans Day, several candidates rolled out proposals to meet the needs of America's 20 million former service members.
Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said female veterans and service members have been neglected, including on concerns about sexual harassment and women's health. Women are the military's fastest-growing subgroup.
"I think leadership plays a huge role so absolutely I'd seek to name a woman to lead VA," Buttigieg, a former Navy intelligence officer, said in an interview with The Associated Press. His comments went a step beyond his 21-page wide-ranging plan released on Monday.
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/politics/2019/11/11/apnewsbreak-buttigieg-hopes-to-name-1st-female-va-secretary/