VIDEO of Senator Murray’s opening statement
VIDEO of Senator Murray questioning Secretary Shinseki
Sen. Patty Murray grills VA chief
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki answered questions and responded to concerns about scheduling of medical appointments and services within the VA care system today in front of the Veterans Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a longtime warrior for veterans, is a senior member of the committee. The topic is a hot issue in the nation on the heels of allegations of a secret waiting list at the Phoenix VA Medical Center that resulted in the deaths of 40 veterans. Shinseki told panel members this morning he is angry and saddened by allegations of treatment delays and preventable deaths in Phoenix. “Any adverse event for a veteran within our care is one too many,” he said in prepared testimony. “We can, and we must do better.” Murray agreed, pointing out there have been numerous reports over the last several years illustrating problems with VA care that still exist. Link
Shinseki: VA Allegations Make Me ‘Mad As Hell’
Eric Shinseki, the embattled Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, pledged during a Senate hearing Thursday to investigate allegations that dozens of service members died while awaiting medical treatment in the U.S… Democrats and Republicans alike battered Shinseki for the department’s struggles on his watch. “Clearly this problem has gone on for far too long,” said Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington. “It is unfortunate that these leadership failures have dramatically shaken many veterans’ confidence in the system. Secretary Shinseki, I continue to believe that you take this seriously and want to do the right thing. But we have come to the point where we need more than good intentions.” Link
Shinseki Faces Barrage at Veterans Affairs Committee, Won't Resign
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki faced a barrage of bipartisan outrage Thursday morning, with senators from both parties pointing to systemic problems at the department he manages. Sen. Patty Murray was among those who said the VA cannot wait for completion of the inspector general’s inquiry into allegations of secret lists and deaths at a VA facility in Phoenix. “This needs to be the wake-up call for the department. The lack of transparency and the lack of accountability is inexcusable and cannot be allowed to continue. The practices of intimidation and of cover-ups must change — starting today,” the Washington Democrat said in her opening statement. Murray is intimately familiar with the VA, having served as chairwoman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee in the previous Congress. “Giving bonuses to hospital directors for running a system that places priority on gaming the system and keeping their numbers down, rather than provide care to veterans, must come to an end. But, Mr. Secretary it can’t end with just dealing with a few bad actors or putting a handful of your employees on leave. It has to go much further and lead to system-wide change,” Murray said. “You must lead the department to a place where we prioritize the care of our veterans above everything else.” Link
Sanders excuses VA: ‘Not the case that health care in the rest of America is just wonderful’
While most lawmakers demanded the Veterans Affairs Department use the allegations in Phoenix as a wake-up call to take action, Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent, defended the department and pointed out the good care it provides to veterans... Other members of the committee on both sides of the aisle did not defend the VA in the same way Mr. Sanders did. Sen. Patty Murray, Washington Democrat, said more needs to be done to increase transparency and restore veterans’ confidence in their healthcare system. “I continue to believe you take this seriously and want to do the right thing, but we come to a point where we need more than good intentions,” she said. Link
Shinseki faces bipartisan criticism during Hill hearing on vet health care scandal
Lawmakers accused Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki of failing to act on repeated warnings about problems with the veterans health care system, as the embattled secretary vowed to take "all actions necessary" to fix the problems during a contentious hearing on Capitol Hill…Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the allegations "deeply disturbing." "We need more than good intentions," she said, calling for "decisive action." Link
Eric Shinseki faces tough questions on VA scandal, vows not to resign
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki testified before a Senate panel Thursday that allegations of treatment delays and cover-ups at VA medical centers make him “mad as hell,” and he vowed to fix any problems documented by an inspector general’s investigation…But Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), saying she is “very frustrated” by the issue, charged that the Veterans Affairs Department “has repeatedly failed to address wait times for health care.” She added: “These recent allegations are not new issues. They are deep system-wide problems, and they grow more concerning every day.” She said there was “no reason to wait for the Phoenix report before acting on the larger problems.” Link
A guide to the VA health care controversy
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki faced tough questions from a Senate panel on Thursday about the state of his department after allegations that VA health clinics throughout the nation have cooked their books to cover up treatment delays…How long has this been an issue? Sen. Patty Murray noted during Thursday’s hearing that multiple Government Accountability Office reports dating back to 2000 have highlighted VA treatment delays. She said the department’s inspector general also looked at the issue in 2005, 2007 and 2012, determining each time that schedulers were not following VA policy. The 2012 report said the department had not developed a reliable or accurate way of knowing whether its clinics were providing timely access to mental health care. Link
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is 'mad as hell'
Facing calls to resign, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said Thursday that he hopes to have a preliminary report within three weeks on how widespread treatment delays and falsified patient scheduling reports are at VA facilities nationwide, following allegations that up to 40 veterans may have died while awaiting treatment at the Phoenix VA center… Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the hearing "needs to be a wake-up call for the department," noting that outside reviews have outlined problems with wait times and quality of care since at least 2000. "It's extremely disappointing that the department has repeatedly failed to address wait times for health care," Murray said. Murray told Shinseki she believes he takes the allegations seriously and wants to do the right thing, "but we have come to the point where we need more than good intentions." Murray called for Shinseki to take "decisive action to restore veterans' confidence in VA, create a culture of transparency and accountability and to change these system-wide, years-long problems." Link
Shinseki: I’m ‘personally angered’ over VA allegations
With his job on the line, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said he was “personally angered and saddened” by an alleged cover-up within the department that may have cost the lives of 40 veterans… “It’s extremely disappointing that the department has repeatedly failed to address wait times for health care,” Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, said at the hearing Thursday. “These recent allegations are not new issues – they are system-wide problems and they grow more concerning by the day.” Link
Eric Shinseki, 'mad as hell' over VA scandal, is grilled by senators
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shineski said Thursday he's "mad as hell" over allegations of wrongdoing at VA facilities, but his measured approach to fixing the problems did not appear to satisfy senators from both parties who grilled the retired Army general over excessive wait times linked to veterans' deaths…"Clearly this problem has gone on far too long," said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who has long investigated VA complaints. "We need more than good intentions. What we need now is decisive action." Link
Eric Shinseki refuses to quit as veterans' healthcare scandal grows
Senior Democrats turned on the Obama administration's handling of a growing scandal over healthcare for military veterans, after cabinet secretary Eric Shinseki acknowledged there was already some evidence that waiting list data had been manipulated to hide patient backlogs… During a stormy Senate committee hearing which saw scathing and bipartisan criticism, he was joined by Patty Murray of Washington, who claimed “standard practice at the VA seems to be to hide the truth in order to look good”. Link
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki vows changes; defends system
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki vowed Thursday to make changes in the agency that serves nearly 6.5 million veterans, but in testimony before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs he also defended the department's health care system as comparable to private medical providers… Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was among those who upbraided Shinseki for failing to provide information requested by Congress, and for failing to address "deep, system-wide problems" that have damaged the VA department's credibility. "The lack of transparency and the lack of accountability are inexcusable, and cannot continue," she said. Link
Big day for Dept. of Veterans Affairs and Federal Communications Commission
It so happens that Thursday is an important, perhaps pivotal day for two government agencies, the VA and the FCC… Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA: "The standard practice at the VA seems to be to hide the truth to look good." Link
Heller: VA leaders fail to hold officials accountable for flaws in Nevada
Top leaders of the Department of Veterans Affairs are failing to hold agency officials in Nevada accountable for flaws and shortcomings in providing service to local veterans, Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., charged Thursday in a hearing on the VA’s troubled health system… Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the hearing “needs to be a wake-up call for the department,” noting that outside reviews have outlined problems with wait times and quality of care for at least 14 years. “It’s extremely disappointing that the department has repeatedly failed to address wait times for health care,” Murray said. Murray told Shinseki she believes he takes the allegations seriously and wants to do the right thing, “but we have come to the point where we need more than good intentions.” Link
Eric Shinseki ‘mad as hell’ over VA scandal
Fighting for his political life, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said on Thursday he’s “mad as hell” over allegations at the center of an unfolding scandal related to treatment delays at veterans hospitals… “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,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) told Shinseki. “This needs to be a wake-up call for the department.” Link
Shinseki: I’m “Mad as Hell” Over VA Scandal
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on Thursday responded to the serious allegations of misconduct at VA health care facilities in personal terms, telling Congress that it is a privilege to care for his fellow veterans… Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., pointed out that the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office reported on evidence of VA "wait time failures" as far back as 2000. The OIG, meanwhile, looked at this problem in 2005, 2007, and again in 2012. "Each time...schedulers across the country were not following VA policy," Murray said. While Shinseki may have good intentions, she said, "We've come to the point where we need more than good intentions."… Shinseki called Nabors a "proven performer" who would bring a "fresh set of eyes" to the problem, while Murray said Nabors' involvement will "make this review more credible and more effective." Link
VA's Shinseki 'mad as hell'
The head of the Veterans Affairs Department said he was “mad as hell” over allegations of secret wait lists and delays in care at several VA clinics across the country… "We need more than good intentions,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “What we need from you now is decisive action to restore veterans' confidence in [the] VA, create a culture of transparency and accountability, and to change these system-wide, years-long problems." Link
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Meghan Roh
Press Secretary | New Media Director
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
Mobile: (202) 365-1235
Office: (202) 224-2834
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