Politico reported that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki shared his frustration with the allegations relating to treatment delays at veteran hospitals in the country. Perhaps worried over the effects of the healthcare waitlist scandal on his political career, Shinseki told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, who is reviewing the case, that he is "mad as hell" just like the veterans he is serving should the claims were true.
"If these allegations are true, they‘re completely unacceptable to me, to veterans. I'm committed to take all actions necessary to identify exactly what the issues are, to fix them and to strengthen veterans' trust in VA health care. If any allegations are substantiated by the inspector general, we will act," Shinseki said.
Shinseki appeared before the committee today to answer a barrage of questions regarding allegations of a secret waiting list at a VA hospital, and the attempts to cover it up by hospital authorities. Several Republican senators in the committee had called for his resignation, while Democrats had recommended a shakeup of Shinseki's management team.
Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders opted to be level-headed on the matter, and called for committee members to refrain from rushing judgement. Politico also noted that Sanders defended the beleaguered VA, but acknowledged the severity of the accusations.
Sen. Patty Murray, just like the rest of the Republicans in the committee, has stopped short of caling for the resignation of Shinseki, but insisted that an action on the matter should be done real soon.
"I continue to believe you take this seriously and want to do the right thing, but we've come to the point where we need more than good intentions. This needs to be a wake-up call for the department," she told Shinseki.
Senator Johnny Isakson added, "The chairman has said we shouldn't have a rush to judgment, but we should have a rush to accountability."
