Reports coming out of the reports coming out of the Veterans Affairs showing Veterans Affairs showing reduced waiting time. Reduced waiting time. Cleared out backlogs and high cleared out backlogs and high levels of satisfaction from the levels of satisfaction from the veterans. Veterans. Then bad news started to seep then bad news started to seep out. Out. First, some were faking their first, some were faking their new numbers. New numbers. The waits were much longer. The waits were much longer. And systemic lying, and systemic lying, untreated untreated medical conditions, and evening medical conditions, and evening managers reaching goals never managers reaching goals never achieved. Achieved. They werent confined to a few they werent confined to a few bad apple offices bad apple offices , and erik , and Erik Shinseki resigned. Shinseki resigned. The resignation came this the resignation came this morning. Morning. I said we would not tolerate i said we would not tolerate misconduct, and we will not. Misconduct, and we will not. There are too many veterans there are too many veterans receiving care who deserve our receiving care who deserve our best efforts, and an honest best efforts, and an honest assessment if something is not assessment if something is not working. Working. The president thanked the the president thanked the retired four Star Army General retired four Star Army GeneralErik ShinsekiErik Shinseki. But after repeated reports of but after repeated reports of poor care and mounting poor care and mounting criticism, the president decided criticism, the president decided he would accept shinsekis he would accept shinsekis resignation with with respect. Resignation with with respect. Ricks commitment to our ricks commitment to our veterans is veterans is unwhiched. Unwhiched. His service to our country is his service to our country is exemplary. Exemplary. He has worked hard to identify he has worked hard to identify the problems with access to the problems with access to care. Care. But as he told me this morning but as he told me this morning the v. A. Needs new leadership to the v. A. Needs new leadership to address them. Address them. That was ricks judgment on that was ricks judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans, behalf of his fellow veterans, and and i agree. I agree. We dont have time for we dont have time for distractions. Distractions. We need to fix the problems. We need to fix the problems. Reporter 150 clinics and reporter 150 clinics and centers serve veterans. Centers serve veterans. And there have long been and there have long been complaints of backlog of complaints of backlog of veterans seeking care. Veterans seeking care. The problem became acute of late the problem became acute of late when reports surfaced when reports surfaced of mondays of mondays long wait of seeing a doctor and long wait of seeing a doctor and allegations of cooked books to allegations of cooked books to cover up the problem. Cover up the problem. And as calls for the resignation and as calls for the resignation of shinseki grew of shinseki grew , it confirmed it confirmed 1700 vets were not on an 1700 vets were not on an official waitlist to see official waitlist to see doctors. Doctors. Under the phoenix v. A. Veterans under the phoenix v. A. Veterans waited almost four months to get waited almost four months to get an appointment. An appointment. They found false data was being they found false data was being used to suggest a better level used to suggest a better level of service. Of service. In phoenix and many other va in phoenix and many other va facilities. Facilities. The number one priority is the number one priority is making sure that problems get making sure that problems get fixed so that if there is a fixed so that if there is a veteran out there who needs veteran out there who needs help, that theyre getting a help, that theyre getting a schedule, and theyre able to schedule, and theyre able to come in and see a come in and see a doctor, and if doctor, and if there are facilities that dont there are facilities that dont have enough doctors, enough have enough doctors, enough nurses, enough space, that that nurses, enough space, that that information immediately gets in information immediately gets in the hands of Decision Makers all the hands of Decision Makers all the way up to me, and all the the way up to me, and all the way to congress so we can get way to congress so we can get more resources in there to help more resources in there to help folks. Folks. On friday shinseki himself on friday shinseki himself his deputy will leave the v. A. His deputy will leave the v. A. And begin making the changes and begin making the changes upon. Upon. I want somebody who is i want somebody who is spending every minute of every spending every minute of every day to figure out have we called day to figure out have we called every veteran that is waiting . Every veteran that is waiting . Have they gotten a schedule . Have they gotten a schedule . Are we fixing the system . Are we fixing the system . What kind of technology do we what kind of technology do we need . Need . Have we made a realistic have we made a realistic assessment of how long the wait assessment of how long the wait times are right now and how are times are right now and how are we going to bring those weight we going to bring those weight times down in certain facilities times down in certain facilities where the weigh where the weigh wait times are wait times are do long. Do long. If we need more money, how much if we need more money, how much money do we need to ask from money do we need to ask from congress, and how am i going to congress, and how am i going to make sure that congress delivers make sure that congress delivers on that additional on that additional funding . Funding . Thats what i want someone at thats what i want someone at the v. A. Focused on. The v. A. Focused on. Not how are they getting second not how are they getting second guessed, speculation about their guessed, speculation about their futures and so forth and so on. Futures and so forth and so on. Before he resigned this before he resigned this morning. Morning. Shinseki received a standing shinseki received a standing ovation. Ovation. In his address he wholeheartedly in his address he wholeheartedly apologized to the vets he had apologized to the vets he had helped for years. Helped for years. The drip, drip, the drip, drip, drip of v. A. Drip of v. A. Allegations take its toll. Allegations take its toll. Our guests our guests lewis, you were here lewis, you were here just over a week ago. Just over a week ago. We talked about the same we talked about the same situation. Situation. We wondered if the secretary we wondered if the secretary would be able to survive. Would be able to survive. What changed in just over a what changed in just over a week. Week. A week ago a week ago the american the american region was of the opinion that region was of the opinion that the secretary would not survive the secretary would not survive this. This. We are not happy about it. We are not happy about it. Its a sad day for veterans. Its a sad day for veterans. We are happy that the we are happy that the administration got in front of administration got in front of this and decided they needed to this and decided they needed to take serious action to change take serious action to change the culture and start to reform the culture and start to reform some of the hurt that is within some of the hurt that is within the department of veteran the department of veteran affairs. Affairs. So today we support this so today we support this decision decision you looking forward to you looking forward to working with acting secretary working with acting secretary gibson and working with gibson and working with transparency, clearing out these transparency, clearing out these lists and working with them to lists and working with them to make this a better v. A. Make this a better v. A. You felt that it was you felt that it was untenable then, and a lot of untenable then, and a lot of people have come to your point people have come to your point of view. Of view. What is happening under the what is happening under the secretarys feet . Secretarys feet . Well, the american region has well, the american region has looked at the performance levels looked at the performance levels of staff and also the records of staff and also the records and the backlog, and the and the backlog, and the adjudication process. Adjudication process. We had inside knowledge that we we had inside knowledge that we had been sharing with the had been sharing with the administration and the administration and the department of veteran Affairs Department of veteran affairs and congress for many and congress for many years. Years. We saw some of the problems that we saw some of the problems that were happening which is what were happening which is what prompted us right after the prompted us right after the scandal broke out in phoenix to scandal broke out in phoenix to say enough is enough, and its say enough is enough, and its time for the secretary to go. Time for the secretary to go. And we saw the writing and we saw the writing on the on the wall. Wall. It became apparent that the it became apparent that the problems were worse than anybody problems were worse than anybody knew . Knew . These are very serious these are very serious allegations. Allegations. I make no bones about that. I make no bones about that. 1700 people on waitlists. 1700 people on waitlists. That is 1700 people too many. That is 1700 people too many. Secretary shinseki, he set the secretary shinseki, he set the standard of 14 days as the standard of 14 days as the maximum waiting time not only maximum waiting time not only for primary care but specialty for primary care but Specialty Care and it was an ambitious care and it was an ambitious target. Target. I think it was a great goal that i think it was a great goal that we tried to get our veterans the we tried to get our veterans the care within that time frame, and care within that time frame, and its unfortunate that a lot of its unfortunate that a lot of midlevel managers gained that midlevel managers gained that system saying system saying look, at the look, at the excess problems and take steps excess problems and take steps to to reform the system rather than reform the system rather than sweeping it under the rug. Sweeping it under the rug. What do we know about how what do we know about how well they were doing . Well they were doing . They were using a variety they were using a variety of of strategies. Strategies. They would they would say your desired date say your desired date is three months in the future. Is three months in the future. A there are a variety of a there are a variety of Details Details tha in the report. Tha in the report. Some people who know this some people who know this department well say that department well say that if if youre coming in cold to the top youre coming in cold to the top job that may not be enough time job that may not be enough time to fix whats wrong. To fix whats wrong. Is that right . Is that right . There is no doubt that the there is no doubt that the clock is running in terms of clock is running in terms of what the administration can do what the administration can do to fix this. To fix this. And its running faster if you and its running faster if you consider congress will have to consider congress will have to play a pivotal roll in helping play a pivotal roll in helping the next secretary of the the next secretary of the department of Veterans Affairs department of Veterans Affairs move ahead. Move ahead. What im most concerned not if a what im most concerned not if a new secretary comes in, but can new secretary comes in, but can they have the Senior Leadership they have the Senior Leadership they need to deal with the they need to deal with the problems that have problems that have beenthat my beenthat my fellow colleagues have talked fellow colleagues have talked about in terms of the variety of about in terms of the variety of problems. Problems. Youre not talking about waite youre not talking about waite