On Veterans Day, Buttigieg backs female to lead VA

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says if elected he’d name a woman to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs for the first time as 2020 hopefuls take aim at President 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.

Trump, speaking in New York City’s Veterans Day Parade, praised the strength of the U.S. military and the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, saying the nation’s veterans “risked everything for us. Now it is our duty to serve and protect them every single day of our lives.” More than 100 protesters booed and held black balloons that read “support our troops, impeach.”

Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Ind., 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.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said he would seek to build on substantial gains for vets that were started under the Obama-Biden administration, such as stemming homelessness and improving mental health care.

In a dig at Trump, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders released a video Monday highlighting his role in working with the late Republican Sen. John McCain, a decorated war hero, to pass legislation that included the Veterans Choice program in 2014.

Trump routinely takes credit for being the first to enact the Choice program, ignoring the fact that it was signed into law by President Barack...