On Friday morning, US Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has stepped down from his post in the wake of the allegations regarding the massive backlogs at VA medical facilities that resulted in deaths of unfortunate veterans. Buzzfeed reported that Shinseki's resignation happened during a meeting with US President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss about the healthcare scandal ever since a CNN investigative report revealed that administrators have been keeping "secret" waitlists of people who will get treatment in the medical facilities.
After the meeting, Obama has stressed his frustration with the VA situation, and told reporters, "(The scandal is) totally unacceptable. Our veterans deserve the best. I said last week that if we found any [wrongdoing] it would be punished, and I meant it."
Obama said Shinseki was the one who had offered his resignation, to the collective sigh of many, particularly in the GOP who had been calling for him to step down. However, Obama clarified that he had accepted Shinseki's proposal with considerable regret and began to praise the former agency secretary's service in both the military and at the CA. Obama, on the other hand, voiced a reminder that the beleaguered agency do not need the distraction the scandal has been providing as it tries to correct its mistakes.
Buzzfeed said that earlier in the day, Shinseki, in his speech to a veteran's group, had blamed some of his advisors about the scandal. He also reminded everyone about his military track record, and promised to take responsibility. he stressed, "I can't explain the lack of integrity among some of the leaders of our health care facilities. This is something I rarely encounter during 38 years in uniform and so I will not defend it because it's indefensible, but I can take responsibility for it and I do."
