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Dem Slams Obama’s Response to VA Scandal

Rep. Scott: ‘I was very disappointed with President Obama today’

Rep. David Scott (D., Ga.) unleashed his furor at the Obama Administration over their poor handling of the VA scandal and their failure to act in a proper, timely manner to fix the scandal.

Responding to President Obama's press conference today, Scott said on the House floor, "I listened to the President today, and I was very disappointed with President Obama today. There was no urgency. Mr. President, we need urgency, we need you to roll up our sleeves and get into these hospitals!"

Scott accused VA officials of lying to members of Congress this year. He told the story of how he was in his home state of Georgia discussing the high number of soldiers committing suicide while in the hospital. He and Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R., Fla.) asked if there were anything others and were told that there were no more. "And they told a damn lie!" Scott said. He explained, "The very next day it was exposed there was another soldier that committed suicide, and they covered it up."

He called for the firing of Eric Shinseki, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. "Under his watch at my own hospital in Atlanta, four of our soldiers committed suicide in the hospital, and the very inspector general of the VA laid the blame directly at the foot of the VA administration for the lack of management," Scott stormed.

Scott also called for respect to be paid to the veterans needing care, after all "Our soldiers have given their lives on the battlefield. We need to give our lives up here and give our veterans the respect that they deserve!"

Published under: Veterans Affairs