Doug Collins (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doug Collins
Official portrait, 2025
12th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office February 5, 2025
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Paul Lawrence
Preceded by	Denis McDonough
Other Administration positions Acting Director of the United States Office of Government Ethics In office February 12, 2025 – April 1, 2025 President Donald Trump Preceded by Shelley Finlayson (acting) Succeeded by Jamieson Greer Acting Special Counsel of the United States In office March 5, 2025 – April 1, 2025 President Donald Trump Preceded by Hampton Dellinger Succeeded by Jamieson Greer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 9th district
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Tom Graves (redistricted)
Succeeded by	Andrew Clyde
House positions Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee In office January 3, 2019 – March 12, 2020 Preceded by Jerry Nadler Succeeded by Jim Jordan Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 Leader Paul Ryan Preceded by Lynn Jenkins Succeeded by Mark Walker
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 27th district
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Stacey Reece
Succeeded by	Lee Hawkins
Personal details
Born	Douglas Allen Collins (1966-08-16) August 16, 1966 (age 59) Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Lisa Jordan ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	3
Education	University of North Georgia (BA) New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv) Atlanta's John Marshall Law School (JD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force Air Force Reserve
Years of service	2002–present
Rank	Colonel
Unit	94th Airlift Wing Chaplain Corps
Battles/wars	Iraq War Operation Iraqi Freedom

Douglas Allen Collins (born August 16, 1966) is an American lawyer, politician, and military officer. Since February 2025, he has served as the 12th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Before this role, he was a U.S. Representative for Georgia's 9th congressional district from 2013 to 2021. He also served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013. Collins is a member of the Republican Party. He has been a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve since 2002 and became a colonel in 2023.

In January 2020, Collins ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia but did not win. After leaving Congress, he worked as a legal advisor for Donald Trump. In November 2024, President-elect Trump announced he would nominate Collins for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The United States Senate confirmed Collins for this role on February 4, 2025, and he started the next day.

Early Life and Education

Collins was born in Gainesville, Georgia. His father worked as a Georgia State Trooper for over 30 years. Collins graduated from North Hall High School.

He attended North Georgia College & State University, earning a degree in political science and criminal law in 1988. He later studied at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Divinity in 1996. In 2007, Collins earned his law degree from Atlanta's John Marshall Law School.

Career Highlights

Before his political career, Collins interned for Georgia U.S. Representative Ed Jenkins. He also worked as a salesman. From 1994 to 2005, Collins was a senior pastor at Chicopee Baptist Church. He also co-owned a scrapbooking store with his wife, Lisa. Since 2010, Collins has worked as a lawyer and is a managing partner at the Collins and Csider law firm.

Military Service

In the late 1980s, Collins served two years as a navy chaplain in the United States Navy. After the September 11 attacks, he joined the United States Air Force Reserve Command. He continues to serve as a chaplain there, holding the rank of Colonel. In 2008, as part of the 94th Airlift Wing, Collins was deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq for five months during the Iraq War.

Georgia House of Representatives (2007–2013)

Collins served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 27th district from 2007 to 2013.

Elections and Time in Office

Collins first ran for the Georgia House after the previous representative decided not to seek reelection. He won his first election without opposition. He was also reelected without opposition in 2008 and 2010.

In 2011, Collins supported a plan to change Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program. This plan aimed to save the state money by reducing scholarship amounts and raising the required test scores and grades. Collins believed these changes were necessary to keep the program financially stable. In 2012, he supported changing Georgia's constitution to allow more charter schools.

Collins also signed a pledge in 2012 to vote against any laws related to global warming that would increase taxes.

Committee Work

During the 2011–2012 legislative session, Collins was one of three leaders for Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. He served on several important committees, including:

• House Appropriations (Secretary)
• Judiciary Non-Civil
• Public Safety & Homeland Security
• Health & Human Services
• Defense and Veterans Affairs

U.S. House of Representatives (2013–2021)

Official portrait, 113th Congress

Collins represented Georgia's 9th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2012 Election for Congress

In 2012, Collins ran for Congress in a newly drawn district. He faced two other Republican candidates in the primary election. The 9th district was known for being very Republican. This meant that whoever won the Republican primary would likely become the next representative.

Collins won the primary runoff election with 55 percent of the votes. In the main election, he defeated his Democratic opponent with 76 percent of the votes.

2018 Election

After running unopposed in 2016, Collins faced a Democratic challenger in the 2018 election. He won by a large margin, receiving 79.6% of the votes.

Committee Assignments

Collins speaks in 2019 as a leading member of the House Judiciary Committee

In the U.S. House, Collins served on several key committees:

• United States House Committee on Rules
• United States House Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  • Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs

Caucus Memberships

• U.S.-Japan Caucus

2020 U.S. Senate Election

In January 2020, Collins announced he would run for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia. This was a special election to fill the remaining two years of a senator's term. He ran against the appointed senator, Kelly Loeffler, and other candidates.

Georgia's election rules meant all candidates, regardless of party, competed in one primary election. If no one won more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates would go to a runoff election. Collins finished third in the primary and did not advance to the runoff.

After the election, Collins and Donald Trump raised concerns about the election results in Georgia. Collins later supported Kelly Loeffler in the runoff election.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2025–Present)

Nomination and Confirmation

On November 14, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his plan to nominate Collins as the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Many veterans' groups supported Collins' nomination.

Collins spoke before the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on January 21, 2025. The committee approved his nomination on January 23, 2025. On February 4, 2025, the United States Senate confirmed Collins for the role with a vote of 77–23.

Time in Office

On February 5, 2025, Collins officially became the 12th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swore him into office.

On March 4, 2025, Collins was chosen as the "designated survivor" during President Trump's speech to Congress. This means he was kept in a secure, undisclosed location in case of an emergency, to ensure the government could continue to function.

On March 5, 2025, Collins announced that about 72,000 jobs would be reduced at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He stated that healthcare workers and other essential staff would not be affected by these changes.

Political Views

Healthcare

Collins has opposed the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He called it an "experiment" that was "costly."

Donald Trump

Collins has been described as a strong supporter of Donald Trump. He defended Trump during his impeachment inquiry in 2019. During his Senate campaign in 2020, Collins often highlighted his support for Trump.

Collins was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who supported a lawsuit in December 2020. This lawsuit challenged the results of the 2020 United States presidential election. The Supreme Court did not hear the case.

Environment

Collins does not agree with the widely accepted scientific view on climate change.

Tax Reform

Collins voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He believed this law would help businesses create more jobs and strengthen the economy. He said it would put "more money back in the hands of American families."

LGBTQ Rights

Collins has stated his opposition to same-sex marriage. In 2015, he said he strongly supported a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. He also voted against the Equality Act in 2019. This bill would expand federal civil rights laws to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Military Awards and Decorations

Source:

• Air Force Christian Chaplains Insignia
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Air and Space Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf
• Air and Space Achievement Medal
• Air Force Meritorious Unit Award with bronze oak leaf
• Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with bronze oak leaf
• National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
• Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Frame
• Air and Space Longevity Service Award
• Armed Forces Reserve Medal
• Air Force Training Ribbon

Personal Life

Collins married Lisa Jordan in 1988. They live in Gainesville, Georgia, and have three children: Jordan, Copelan, and Cameron. One of their children has spina bifida. Lisa Jordan is a retired fifth-grade teacher. Collins is a practicing Southern Baptist and attends Lakewood Baptist Church.

Books

• The Clock and the Calendar: A Front-Row Look at the Democrats' Obsession with Donald Trump, 2021. (ISBN: 978-1637580882).

See also

In Spanish: Doug Collins (político) para niños