Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has finally resigned and Obama has accepted.
Shinseki Falls on Sword to Try & Stop Investigations Into Quickly Growing “Death for Bonuses” VA Scandal
Eric Shinseki was forced top fall on his sword this morning to try and stop the administration’s bleeding, and also halt the coming investigations into a shameful VA “Death for Bonuses” scandal that grows larger and more shocking everyday.
It’s really sad to see how our veterans have been treated just so a few worthless pieces of shit who work for the VA could get their bonuses.
The Obama administration probably thinks that getting rid of Eric Shinseki would take some of the heat off of them, and may even make the American People falsely think that the problem has been taken care of so no further investigations are needed, but that is far from the case.
There still should be a full investigation into the VA’s “Death for Bonuses” scandal, and anyone found to be responsible should spend a lot of time in prison. The investigations should be independent and should not stop until anyone and everyone involved are held accountable.
President Obama announced Friday that embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki would take the fall for the rapidly growing scandal over veterans’ health care, accepting his resignation under pressure from members of both parties.
“A few minutes ago, Secretary Shinseki offered me his own resignation,” Obama said, after meeting with Shinseki at the White House. “With considerable regret, I accepted.”
The president announced that Shinseki would resign after he received an update on an internal review of the problems at the VA. The review showed the problems were not limited to just a few facilities, he said, adding: “It’s totally unacceptable. Our veterans deserve the best.”
He said Shinseki told him he did not want to be a distraction.
“I agree,” Obama said. “We don’t have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem.”
The president, who for weeks stood by Shinseki as the allegations of wrongdoing mounted, said it was Shinseki’s own judgment that he’d be a distraction that changed his mind. The president said Sloan Gibson, deputy VA secretary, would be named acting VA secretary while the administration seeks a permanent replacement.
The president had faced mounting calls from members of both parties to remove Shinseki. Shinseki suffered another blow on Friday when Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a former top VA official, called for her former boss’ resignation.
Congressional critics of VA leadership voiced support for the decision on Friday, though urged the administration to quickly get to the root of the problems with VA workers lying about patient wait times.
“VA’s problems are deadly serious, and whomever the next secretary may be, they will receive no grace period from America’s veterans, American taxpayers and Congress,” Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement.
Earlier Friday morning, Shinseki publicly apologized for the failures in the VA system. Responding to an interim inspector general report which found “systemic” problems with clinics misrepresenting patient wait times, Shinseki also announced he would oust senior leaders at the Phoenix VA, where allegations of improper scheduling practices first surfaced.
Shinseki, speaking to advocates for homeless veterans, said he initially believed the problems were “limited and isolated.”
“I no longer believe that. It is systemic,” Shinseki said. “I will not defend it, because it is indefensible.”
Even before his meeting with the president, the secretary’s tone shifted dramatically compared with his testimony before a congressional committee earlier this month, when he continued to defend the VA system. On Friday, citing the IG report, he lamented a “totally unacceptable lack of integrity” at numerous VA facilities — where reviews have found workers were manipulating wait times to make their internal figures look good.
Shinseki said the “lack of integrity” is something he has “rarely encountered.” He announced several steps to address the situation, including directing that patient wait times no longer be used as a measure of success in employee evaluations.
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy – usbacklash.org