CONTACT: Gretchen Andersen (212) 982-9699 or press@iava.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VA Scandal Continues as U.S. Office of Special Counsel Letter Shows Vets Waited For Years
IAVA calls on President and Congress to be active in restoring confidence in the Department of Veterans Affairs
New York, NY (June 23, 2014) - Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the largest non-profit, non-partisan organization representing post-9/11 veterans and their families, urges swift action from the Obama Administration in restoring confidence within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, or OSC, sent a report detailing systemic problems of veterans care to the White House.
The letter notes the OSC, an independent government agency, has over 50 pending whistleblower cases, “all of which allege threats to patient health or safety.”
In early June, IAVA, joined by veterans from across the country, unveiled eight steps the Obama Administration and Congress can take now to restore confidence in the Department of Veterans Affairs. IAVA urges Congress and the President to enact all of the recommendations from the plan.
IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff released the following statement:
“Today's new report demonstrates once again how the problems that surround the VA are ongoing and worse than anyone could have imagined,” said Rieckhoff. “This confirms what our members have been telling us for years. The administration cannot afford to lose any more time. These delays in care are unacceptable, as well as the delays in systematic change at the VA.”
Rieckhoff added, “We urge the White House to expedite naming their new VA Secretary nominee and we call on Congress to move quickly on legislation like the SAV Act to empower officials to solve problems like veteran suicide.”
Since the beginning of the scandal, IAVA has worked to reveal the truth and protect those who stepped forward to provide details on agency wrongdoing. IAVA and Project on Government Oversight joined together in May to launch a secure website, www.VAOversight.org, where VA employees can get in touch with POGO and IAVA. The effort combines IAVA’s deep knowledge of the VA system with POGO’s experience working with whistleblowers to expose federal wrongdoing.
Note to media: Please contact press@IAVA.org to schedule an interview with IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff or IAVA leadership.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the nation's first and largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 270,000 Member Veterans and civilian supporters nationwide. Celebrating its 10th year anniversary, IAVA recently received the highest rating - four-stars - from Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.
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