VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is on “thin ice,” according to the White House, and a bipartisan chorus of more than 100 members of Congress have called for the ouster of the embattled official.
Shinseki responded to the uproar Thursday in an op-ed in USA Today, in which he called the results of an interim report released by the VA Inspector General’s Office “reprehensible” and laid out his plans to help veterans hurt by improper scheduling practices at Phoenix’s VA hospital. Shinseki also met with leaders of 23 military and veterans groups to discuss the report on conditions at the VA and promised to fix the problems.
“We are doing all we can to accelerate access to care throughout our system and in communities where veterans reside,” he wrote in the op-ed.
Shinseki added,” Earlier this month, I had also ordered Veterans Health Administration to conduct a nationwide audit of all other major VA health care facilities to ensure understanding of, and compliance with, our appointment policy. More than 200 senior staff are conducting that audit now, and we expect to announce the initial results of that audit in the coming days.”
Still, it might be too late for Shinseki, as he has come under increased fire from lawmakers In the wake of the inspector general’s report Wednesday. As of Thursday evening, 11 Democratic senators had called for Shinseki’s resignation, with Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu being the latest to weigh in.
In addition to determining that “inappropriate scheduling practices are systemic throughout VHA,” the inspector general’s report found that some 1,700 veterans at the Phoenix facility were waiting for care but were not on any official waiting list. An additional 1,400 veterans are already on the system’s waiting list.









