US Senate confirms Sam Brown to VA role

The U.S. Senate voted this week to confirm Sam Brown as undersecretary for memorial affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, with Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen as the lone Democrats voting in favor.

Brown, a retired Army captain and Republican who unsuccessfully ran for Senate against Rosen in 2024, was confirmed to the position in a 54-44 vote, with two senators not voting. President Donald Trump appointed Brown to the position in January, but the Senate needed to confirm him.

The position is responsible for overseeing the maintenance and operation of 155 VA national cemeteries.

In a post on X, Brown said that he prayed asking for wisdom in his leadership role and that he was “humbled and honored” to give his best.

A spokesperson for Rosen said one of the senator’s priorities is taking care of the country’s veterans and their families, and “she will always put politics aside to support the men and women who served in uniform.”

“Senator Rosen has always respected Sam Brown’s military service and believes he’s capable of carrying out this new job serving our nation’s veterans,” the spokesperson said.

After voting to confirm him to the position, Cortez Masto sent Brown a letter asking him for a status update on the Elko National Cemetery’s construction timeline. The veterans cemetery was approved in 2022, and Cortez Masto sought a final commitment from the VA to start construction on the Elko site.

“I am writing to request an update on the status of the Elko National Cemetery,” Cortez Masto wrote. “As you know, veterans in the Elko region currently face long travel times to access burial and memorial services, with no national or state veterans’ cemeteries in the region. The Elko cemetery project is a crucial step toward closing that gap, and I appreciate the VA’s continued partnership in bringing it to completion.”

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.