Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki Resigns (VIDEO)

 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki resigned (courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki resigned (courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).

CNN reported today that Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki has resigned in light of the growing VA scandal.

?President Barack Obama said Friday in announcing the resignation of his only Veterans Affairs secretary over a growing scandal involving sometimes deadly waits for care at VA hospitals.?

According to CNN, Shinseki met with President Obama and stated the VA needed new leadership (really? NO?) and accepted responsibility for the VA’s failing.


Shinseki:

?I was too trusting of some, and I accepted as accurate reports that I now know to have been misleading with regard to patient wait times. 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 39 years in uniform and so I will not defend it because it’s indefensible, but I can take responsibility for it and I do.?

Obama was quoted stating, ?That was Ric’s judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans, and I agree. We don’t have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem.?

Bipartisan demands were made for Shinseki’s resignation from both Republicans and Democrats. Also, many veterans? groups called for the same. Though happy with Shinseki’s resignation, party leaders recognize that the VA problems must be fixed.


Rep. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky:

?The denial of care to our veteran is a national disgrace, and it’s fitting that the person who oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs has accepted responsibility for this growing scandal and resigned.?

Rep. Mike Michaud D-Maine:

?Democrats and Republicans alike, in tandem with our Veteran Service Organizations and the millions of Americans who have served our nation all want to get to the bottom of what exactly is broken with the VA system and what we can do to fix it. The systemic failures in our VA system are inexcusable and must be fixed immediately so that this never happens again.?

Calls are now being made for a criminal investigation as to why at least 1,700 military veterans waiting for an appointment that was never made or placed on waiting lists. Answers are being sought after as to how many more have been put to the side and forgotten.

Watch President Obama’s Press Conference for more details below:

biopicLizLiz Lee considers herself a modern woman of the South and hails from the swamps of South Georgia. She votes along no party line and prefers to look at issues from all angles before taking a stance. She takes particular interest in healthcare issues, mental health issues, and the battle for equality. She is also an emphatic advocate for the end to dog breed discrimination legislation. She is a wife, mother of one human child, mother to one furry American Bully, a college student, and also your typical everyday Wonder Woman. When she hangs up her cape, you can find her curled up in her office sewing, writing, playing World of Warcraft, or practicing banjo. You can follow her on Facebook to see what issue she is tackling.

edited by SB