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.
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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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The GOP had better move carefully here or Mr. Shinseki might remind them of their budget cuts.
Here's the problem with the Veterans Administration. The Bush administration started two wars that engaged hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Once veterans started returning home, many medical needs, the Bush administration began cutting the budget to the Veterans Administration.
Badly needed upgrades to the administrative process were needed and neglected. The V.A. still does all case handling by hand, with paper files. With two wars in progress, money should have been added to the budgets. Many V.A. facilities had to scale back or were closed. We are reaping the wisdom of those policies now.
rs
The GOP had better move carefully here or Mr. Shinseki might remind them of their budget cuts.
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Democrats were the ones demanding a cut in defense dept. spending if entitlements were cut. Thanks for that very lame lie.
Rudy NYC
Here's the problem with the Veterans Administration. The Bush administration started two wars that engaged hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Once veterans started returning home, many medical needs, the Bush administration began cutting the budget to the Veterans Administration.
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Lies that are easy proven as lies by Googling the VA budget. Spending has been INCREASING even as the number of veterans has been decreasing due to all of the older WWII and korean veterans dying off. And now sadly we are learning the VA has been helping accelrate that process. Yet another Obama adminstration FAILURE.
Now now, everyone knows that nobody "cares" more about veterans than the GOP/Teatrolls...well, creating them at least.
Democrat Senators running for re-election in Arkansas and Alaska have been attacking their Republican opponents military service. That is how much the far left Demorcat Party and their supporters appreciate our veterans and their service to this country.
Donna wrote:
Lies that are easy proven as lies by Googling the VA budget. Spending has been INCREASING even as the number of veterans has been decreasing due to all of the older WWII and korean veterans dying off. And now sadly we are learning the VA has been helping accelrate that process. Yet another Obama administration FAILURE.
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Nope, you're wrong. The Bush administration cut funding, "to help pay for the war effort." VA hospitals were closing up or scaling throughout the Bush years. Once the Tea Party took over the House, they cut funding, which resulted in Walter Reed Hospital nearly closing up for good in the summer of 2011.
Sounds to me like Shinseki is doing his job. When he found out about the allegations in Phoenix he dispatched people to investigate. The top folks in Phoenix have been suspended. If they were indeed keeping to two lists to hide their wait times they should be fired and maybe prosecuted.
@Rudy NYC
Here's the problem with the Veterans Administration. The Bush administration started two wars that engaged hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Once veterans started returning home, many medical needs, the Bush administration began cutting the budget to the Veterans Administration.
Badly needed upgrades to the administrative process were needed and neglected. The V.A. still does all case handling by hand, with paper files. With two wars in progress, money should have been added to the budgets. Many V.A. facilities had to scale back or were closed. We are reaping the wisdom of those policies now.
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Thanks Rudy.
Neocons berated General Shinseki for claiming that the Iraq invasion was not going to be a cake walk .
It's easy for GW Bush to ride around his ranch on cross country bikes with a few Vets , He might need a bigger ranch !
Harry Reid stated, the sequester will have devastating effect on government employees, losing their jobs, yet today when the report on this came out, it has not made a bit of difference, everyone still has a job, plus got paid for the free vacation when the government was shut down.
Now now Proud dem... We can't have people actually doing their jobs can we?? Not the VA not the IRS. No can't have that!
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.
"So when Harry Reid called Bush a loser and a liar ...."
Ah, the Analogy Fail Syndrome is having a flare-up:
Calling someone "loser" or "liar" or "total failure" =/= 6+ years of actual behavior and acts, filibuster records, blanket indiscriminate reactionary obstructionism, hostage taking, brinksmanship, crisis manufacture and irrational, hyperbolic conspiracy theory driven attempts to "take him down."
I have no problem with the GOP/Teatrolls' rhetorical tantrums other than on a substantive level: their lies, misrepresentations, clear attempts to fabricate things (like the recent ACA survey they sent to insurers) and the seemingly endless stream of racism/misogyny/bigotry. The point with respect to how we project "strength" to the rest of the world is their actual abuse of their control over the House and the filibuster in the Senate that is sending signals to the bad actors around the world that we're a house divided and that one party has decreed that even attempting to reach consensus with the POTUS, such that we can act in a unified manner, is an act of heresy to them.
Well than Donna, if less are in the VA, and your gop has doubled the funding, why such a mess honey?
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.
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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The Bush administration budget cuts had a devastating effect on the VA. Google it.
Lizzie wrote:
Harry Reid stated, the sequester will have devastating effect on government employees, losing their jobs, yet today when the report on this came out, it has not made a bit of difference, everyone still has a job, plus got paid for the free vacation when the government was shut down.
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There you go again building false equivalences. What does the effect of the sequester [actual budget cuts] have to do with the government shutdown [no budget cuts] when it comes to jobs? Nothing. As you point out, no one lost their job because of the government shutdown.
Now, what about the sequester? The public sector is shrinking.
Crazy right wing fact free statements look good on paper, but are nothing more than lies to support inept republican leadership.
secular integrity
Well than Donna, if less are in the VA, and your gop has doubled the funding, why such a mess honey?
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Incompetent Obama administration leadership and management. Thanks for asking.
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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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?
"divided and that one party has decreed that even attempting to reach consensus with the POTUS, such that we can act in a unified manner, is an act of heresy to them."
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Someone's Obama embroidered knee pads are wearing thin.... Better get a new pair!
Lizzie
Malory.... Do you mean VP Biden who got FIVE deferments.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When did Joe Biden become a TPer and threaten President Obama? That being said, do you REALLY want to go down that path lizzie? I mean, when you consider the previous occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue's family pulled strings to get him into the ANG – AND HE COULDN'T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO SHOW UP FOR DRILL WEEKENDS WHICH MAKES HIM A DESERTER! Not to mention his puppet master who got five deferments of his own because he had "other priorities".
What's new? Guns Over People teatards cut retirement and food stamps that vets and their families depend on. November comes quickly for them.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
'nuff said.
Total waste of tax dollars by GOP idiots. Just vote straight democratic ticket. Hillary16. Period.