Shinseki to testify before Senate Veterans Affairs Committee next week
(CNN) - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will testify next Thursday before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, CNN has learned.
Shinseki is under fire from some congressional Republicans and veterans groups for the mounting backlog of health care cases at the VA and, specifically, allegations that veterans died while on a secret waiting list at the Phoenix VA hospital, which was first reported on by CNN.
Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, called Shinseki on Wednesday and asked him to appear, according to Sanders’ spokesman Michael Briggs.
The invitation is in contrast with the Republican-led House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, which voted unanimously Thursday to subpoena the VA secretary for emails and other documents related to the Phoenix allegations. The House subpoena does not require Shinseki to appear before the committee.
The Senate hearing is entitled, “The State of VA Healthcare.” Other witnesses are likely, Briggs said, including a witness Republicans can invite on their own.
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@Rudy NYC
Donna
As you can see Rudy, the budget of the VA actually more than DOUBLED while Bush was president. Let me know how you like the crow.
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Most of the spending increases were for treatments, not upgrades to the VA facilities. The administrative budgets were cut under bush. Look at the spending drop that occurred when the Tea Party rolled into town, which nearly closed Walter Reed in the summer of 2011. They are still handling cases using handwritten files. The only networks that they have are sneaker networks, which means you run across the room to the file cabinet and back.
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Donna, at least pretend you are looking at the same articles the rest of us are. The Bush cuts and treatment for vets was scandalous during his time in office.
I have been waiting over a year for an answer to my VA claim.
People need to stop playing the blame game and just fix it.
I have had friends die waiting for just an answer from the VA.
LOL
So Obama basically says the following: "I'm POTUS and I recognize the limits of my power as such, but sometimes, like with the horrible situation in Nigeria, I wish I could do more to help people. Also, while I may be POTUS, I believe in restraint in exercising my power over foreign policy."
CNN headline: "Obama again laments limits of presidential power."
Two words: Teatroll Bait.
Today's winner of the gold star for blatant conservative agitprop: CNN's headline "Obama again laments limits of presidential power."
Dude was expressing frustration over not being able to save the kidnapped girls and talking about showing restraint in exercising power over foreign policy and THAT is the headline you come up with? What a load of crap.
VA budget, Bush DOUBLED the spending in 8 years. I know facts are hard for you lefties to comprehend.
Enjoy the crow, free of charge.
2000 44,818.9
2001 48,665.2
2002 53,495.0
2003 59,673.1
2004 63,824.8
2005 69,436.4
2006 73,736.8
2007 82,013.8
2008 90,525.5
2009 99,447.3
2010 112,694.6
2011 124,383.5
2012 125,304.3
Silence DoGood
Donna, at least pretend you are looking at the same articles the rest of us are. The Bush cuts and treatment for vets was scandalous during his time in office.
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Then post your FACTS! The VA budget numbers are out there for all to see, The VA budget increased from $44.8 billion in 2000 to $99.4 billion in 2009. Rudy states the VA was cut and that is a total lie. So let's see your FACTS.
@Sniffit
LOL
So Obama basically says the following: "I'm POTUS and I recognize the limits of my power as such, but sometimes, like with the horrible situation in Nigeria, I wish I could do more to help people. Also, while I may be POTUS, I believe in restraint in exercising my power over foreign policy."
CNN headline: "Obama again laments limits of presidential power."
Two words: Teatroll Bait.
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It is true for all the conspiracy theories about the "liberal media", some of them sure know how to stir the tinfoil hats up with just a headline. (the only part they generally read)
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Washington, D.C., hospital that has treated the country's war-wounded for more than a century, is closing its doors.
Although the historic redbrick, pillared building six miles from the White House will stay, Walter Reed's operations will move to a new location in Bethesda, Md., that will consolidate three military hospitals.
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Talk about the left totally distorting the facts! Walter Reed was closed down to SAVE MONEY by consolidating facilities and getting rid of an old out of day facility. I guess the lefties think the best care for veterans is done in a faciliity over 100 years old? Geez you guys are sooo dishonest!
@Rudy-Bush increased funding for programs related to veterans more than any president in history.
donna wrote:
Rudy, then post some facts from reputable sources to back up your lies. The CNN moderators are repeatedly blocking my posting of the actual VA budget numbers! WHY?!! But you can Google them just as I did. You know how to use Google don't you?
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You're talking about overall spending. I'm talking about what the article is talking about, the administrative budget cuts. Try a web search for this then " veterans administration budget cuts ". Yes, more money has been spent on patient care, simply because they have far more patients. My point has been that cuts have been across the board at the administration levels, which is why there is such a backlog of cases. Not enough people, and not enough computers to track all of them. They're still doing it all by hand with paper files.
The official VA site has the budget numbers, and the VA budget was CUT when the Tea Party took over the House. The cuts nearly closed Walter Reed Army Hospital, and did close other facilities. Do a web search for " Walter Reed closes 2011 "
Rudy NYC
he official VA site has the budget numbers, and the VA budget was CUT when the Tea Party took over the House. The cuts nearly closed Walter Reed Army Hospital, and did close other facilities. Do a web search for " Walter Reed closes 2011 "
---
ABC News reports:
The move, which has been planned since 2005 to cut costs, will take place throughout August. But patients and staff will say goodbye at a ceremony on the grounds today.
Rudy, Walter Reed was targeted for closing due to its age LONG BEFORE the TEA Party even existed! Want to try making up some new lies to distract from your old ones?
Donna – in 2006, Bush's budget for VA was $26 billion, not the $73 billion you purport. By the way, his 2006 VA budget called for a $1 billion decrease for VA.
Donna
VA budget, Bush DOUBLED the spending in 8 years. I know facts are hard for you lefties to comprehend.
Enjoy the crow, free of charge.
2000 44,818.9
2001 48,665.2
2002 53,495.0
2003 59,673.1
2004 63,824.8
2005 69,436.4
2006 73,736.8
2007 82,013.8
2008 90,525.5
2009 99,447.3
2010 112,694.6
2011 124,383.5
2012 125,304.3
----------------------------–
I keep telling you that I'm talking about spending on facilities and administration. Most of the growth in spending took place after Democrats got control of spending in FY2007-08
Look at what the Tea Party did for the 2012 budget. They cut the growth, which affected administration the most. If the spending was at sufficient levels, then why is it Walter Reed almost closed because of lack of funding? Why were so many other facilities closed due to insufficient funding.
Maybe if the republicans stop sending our men and women into uncalled for wars, we would not have these problems.
GOP-WAR-GOP-WAR-GOP-WAR
They love the words "WAR" and "HEARINGS"
"VA budget, Bush DOUBLED the spending in 8 years. I know facts are hard for you lefties to comprehend."
As was already explained, Donna, the increase was not in areas of the budget that take care of administrating the VA and would address and solve problems like the alleged problems cited in this article. It was because when you send hundreds of thousands of troops to war, you end up paying a lot of medical bills for the treatment of the illnesses, injuries and wounds they predictably incur, like PTSD or missing limbs. You've effectively proven nothing other than that you're very good at repeating misinterpretations of the facts because you failed to look under the hood.
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal resulted from a series ... Between 1999 and 2001, under the Command of then Captain Michael D. Dake ... appointed by President George W. Bush
==========
Two wars later , over stressed and under financed .
@Malory-A famous anchorman lost his job and career for trying to push the lies about GWB`s service record.Like or not Bush served in the military for his country unlike Obama and B. Clinton.
Kudos to Tommy G for putting up the whole story about the Walter Reed closing.
Tommy's reading comprehension skills.on full.display.
@Rudy-Walter Reed was planning to be merged with Bethesda Medical Center in 2005, to be called the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Why would anybody want to give Rudy facts??? Don't you understand by now? It's repubs bad/evil and dems good/heavenly
Wasn't there an expose' on the Veteran's Hospital which showed rats, building code violations, unsafe conditions, etc... which led king george to finally do something for the Vets?
It would be no wonder Veteran's spending would double under bush... a country creates a lot of veterans when they have two unfunded wars going on simultaneously.
I would think the best thing to do for Vets would be to quit creating them....
smith – A famous anchorman lost his job and career for telling the truth about GWB`s service record. Like or not, had it been anyone else they would have been subjected to punishment that could be as extreme as death.
+++++++++++++
FIFY
Additionally, unlike the previous occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue who was all for it as long as he wasn't the one whose backside was on the line, Bill Clinton was a vocal anti-war protester who didn't want ANYONE to go. Can you say "false equivalence"? The draft ended following Vietnam and we weren't fighting a war with anyone during President Obama's young adulthood in the 1980s, so your remark about his lack of military service is laughable at best.
Tommy G
Rudy NYC
he official VA site has the budget numbers, and the VA budget was CUT when the Tea Party took over the House. The cuts nearly closed Walter Reed Army Hospital, and did close other facilities. Do a web search for " Walter Reed closes 2011 "
-
ABC News reports:
The move, which has been planned since 2005 to cut costs, will take place throughout August. But patients and staff will say goodbye at a ceremony on the grounds today.
Rudy, Walter Reed was targeted for closing due to its age LONG BEFORE the TEA Party even existed! Want to try making up some new lies to distract from your old ones?
++++++++++++++++
2005 huh? That begs the question: why did the previous occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue decide to close Walter Reed at the height of TWO wars that HE started just when it was needed most?