Our fearless service members have sacrificed so much in defense of our freedoms, and it is inexcusable we continue to see reports of our veterans waiting months or even years for health care they deserve. “What is important is what is your satisfaction with the experience”. “What I would like to move to eventually is that kind of measure”. This really is just beyond the pale, a comment like this.
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“Comparing abhorrent wait times to a trip to Disneyland is unbelievably tone-deaf and hurtful to American heroes desperately in need of care”, she said in a statement. “I’m only focused on one thing, and that’s better caring for veterans”.
But he did not invoke Disney in that response, and the theme-park connection appears to have made all the difference in critics attacks.
But in hindsight, maybe it was a mistake to sit Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald down with a bunch of reporters Monday to discuss his agency’s continued inability to do its primary job – providing veterans with the decent, timely medical care they are entitled to.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., took his attacks to Twitter, writing “The happiest place on earth?” “Whoever the next president is should not retain Secretary McDonald”.
“Waiting to be seen at the VA for something as serious as life threatening illnesses simply can not be compared to waiting in line to visit the Magic Kingdom”.
Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., tweeted “Waiting for the #VA isn’t the same as waiting in line for Space Mountain”.
It puts the secretary at odds with lawmakers in the House and Senate, who called the Disney comments negligent and disgusting. Eric Shinseki, the head of the VA at the time, resigned.
Ernst cited ongoing corruption within the VA, accusing McDonald of failing to properly reform the system.
A Disney Theme Parks representative responded to McDonald’s comments, suggesting that they take wait times more seriously than the VA.
According to the VA’s most recent data, 70,000 more veterans waited at least a month to get an appointment compared with previous year.
The furor over McDonald began at a breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor on Monday.
The top Senate Democrat, Harry Reid (D-Nev.), defended McDonald Tuesday after being asked by reporters if he should resign.
The Republican from Tarkio added, “These wait times are a matter of life and death for people who’ve risked their lives to serve this country, and the lack of respect for veterans coming out of this administration is disgraceful”. Hillary says VA problems are not “widespread”. “I will take care of our vets!”
“We don’t think it’s valid”, he said Monday. But a recent report by the Government Accountability Office criticized the metric the agency uses to calculate how long a veteran waits for an appointment or procedure.
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Republican Senator Roy Blunt has had enough.
