Press Releases

May 22 2014

Veterans Looking for Presidential Leadership on Fixing Growing VA Scandal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the need for the President to take an active role in addressing the VA scandal:

“This weekend, Americans will gather to remember all who have fought and perished so that we might live in freedom. Memorial Day is our chance to honor their extraordinary sacrifices.

“Of course, Kentucky has long played a proud and vital role in the defense of our nation. I’m honored to represent so many Kentuckians in the Armed Forces, including those stationed at Fort Knox, Fort Campbell, the Blue Grass Army Depot, and members of the Reserves and Kentucky National Guard.

“One of the reasons Memorial Day is so important to me is because it allows Americans to reflect and give thanks for all that we have and to recognize that none of it would be possible without so many Americans we’ve never met putting everything on the line for us.

“That’s why the men and women who protect us – they deserve our full support when they’re deployed, when they’re training, and when they return home.

“Most Americans agree with that statement.

“And yet, as we’ve recently learned, that’s not what’s happening. So many Americans now turn on the evening news just to be sickened by a steady drip-drip from the Obama Administration’s growing veterans scandal.

“The denial of care to our veterans is a national disgrace. And the scandal only seems to increase in scope by the day.

“First we heard about one hospital in Phoenix.

“Then we heard about 10 medical centers across the nation.

“Now there are at least two dozen VA facilities under investigation.

“It all leads to an obvious question: Just how widespread is this failure to treat our veterans?

“We need answers from the President and his Administration. But the White House claims the President didn’t really even know about the latest scandal until hearing about it in the news. Even though a top official testified he knew of inappropriate scheduling practices at VA health clinics – as far back as 2010.

“It sure raises a lot of questions.

“But you know, it’s a curious thing. President Obama, the most powerful man in the free world, always seems to be the last to know about what’s going on in his own Administration.

“From the Obama Administration’s IRS scandal to its Obamacare website fiasco, just about every time the President claims to be in the dark until the wrongdoing surfaces on its own – usually in the press.

“The pattern is incredibly worrying.

“And if it really is true that he learns so much through the press – if he really knows that little about what’s going on in his own administration – then he needs to get re-engaged.

“Right now.

“Because America presidential leadership today. This scandal appears to be a failure of a huge magnitude, and the people we represent are demanding he rise to the challenge.

“Our veterans are counting on him to work with both parties to get to the truth, and to pursue solutions that can make things better.

“Solutions like the VA reform bill that passed the House just yesterday with a strong bipartisan majority. That legislation, which I’ve co-sponsored and which Senator Rubio has led on, would make it easier to remove high-level VA employees for performance failures.

“It’s a smart idea. There’s no reason for us not to pass it quickly here in the Senate. And the President should call for its passage right away too.

“That would be a positive step forward for him. A small one, but a positive one.

“Even though, for some reason, the White House has been ambivalent about the bill.

“But look: We all remember how engaged the President was when Healthcare.gov flopped.

“He didn’t just send a staffer out to Phoenix.

“He didn’t just give a Secretary a stern talking to.

“He didn't just say he wouldn’t stand for it.

“He pulled out all the stops. He made it his number one priority to get that website running – even if it’s still not done.

“And what I’m saying is, the President should put more effort into helping our veterans than his attempt to fix a website.

“Only he can work with us to get to the truth.

“Our veterans deserve it.

“They deserve answers. They deserve accountability. They deserve solutions.

“And as we look ahead to Memorial Day, I hope the President will work constructively with us to give them just that – to prove just how grateful we are to the brave men and women who protect us every day.”