The world many cup. World many cup. Im im lynch. Lynch. This is being consider this. This is being consider this. More ahead. More ahead. Eric shinseki, secretary of Eric Shinseki, secretary of Veterans Affairs, is out. Veterans affairs, is out. He does not want to be a he does not want to be a distraction. Distraction. Todays announcement really todays announcement really changes nothing. Changes nothing. Its not one person thats its not one person thats going to change it all. Going to change it all. Ttys ttys overall situation. Overall situation. Shooting people. Shooting people. You have to you have to live with the live with the masses. Masses. We do have the best justice we do have the best Justice System in theory. System in theory. The problem is its run by human the problem is its run by human beings. Beings. Human beings make mistakes. Human beings make mistakes. This thing about hair this thing about hair analysis, science analysis, science its a its a subjective nightmare. Subjective nightmare. Landon donovan is not going Landon Donovan is not going to the world cup. To the world cup. Many consider him the best many consider him the best Soccer Player ever. Soccer player ever. A person a person opinion between opinion between clemson and donovan. Clemson and donovan. Its a bit of a pill for him its a bit of a pill for him to swallow. To swallow. We we begin with veterans begin with Veterans Affairs secretary Eric ShinsekiAffairs SecretaryEric Shinseki resigning. Resigning. Over over explosive systemic problems explosive systemic problems that that left veterans endlessly left veterans endlessly waiting waiting for for treatment. Treatment. Backing away from backing away from statements statements that just a few that just a few hospitals had hospitals had the problem. The problem. I apologize as the senior i apologize as the Senior Leader of the department of leader of the department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans affairs. I extend a i extend a apology to the people apology to the people i care most greatly i care most greatly about. About. The veterans and their loved the veterans and their loved serve. Serve. President obama said he president obama said he accepted accepted shinsekis resignation shinsekis resignation with considerable regret but he with considerable regret but he now had to go. Now had to go. For now, the leader that will for now, the leader that will help move us forward is sloane help move us forward is Sloane Gibson who will take on the gibson who will take on the reins as acting secretary. Reins as acting secretary. But with but with systemic problems at systemic problems at the va going back the va going back to to its its beginnings, from Silver Spring beginnings, from Silver Spring maryland were joined by rick maryland were joined by rick wideman. Wideman. Vietnam veterans of america. Vietnam veterans of america. Good to have both of you are good to have both of you are gentlemen with us. Gentlemen with us. Lewis, despite the drum beat lewis, despite the drum beat calling for shinseki to resign. Calling for shinseki to resign. There are quite a few voices, there are quite a few voices, you know what big picture here, you know what big picture here, weve treated veterans weve treated veterans poorly poorly pretty much forever. Pretty much forever. Personnel changes arent the personnel changes arent the answer to our problems with the answer to our problems with the veterans. Veterans. Its really Musical Chairs its really Musical Chairs regardless who the president regardless who the president wants running his department. Wants running his department. Its pastime for the president its pastime for the president to step up and fix this mess. To step up and fix this mess. Shinseki is out. Shinseki is out. The internal va report indicates the internal va report indicates there may be even a federal there may be even a federal criminal vision into this. Criminal vision into this. But considering the endemic but considering the endemic problems at the va what do you problems at the va what do you thinks going to actually happen thinks going to actually happen here . Here . Well i that i shinseki well i that i shinseki stepping down is not the answer, stepping down is not the answer, but it is the first but it is the first step and if step and if the va is going to heal it is the va is going to heal it is going to have to heal from the going to have to heal from the inside out. Inside out. Were actin looking forward to were actin looking forward to acting acting secretary gibson coming in. Secretary gibson coming in. Hes not going to be able to do hes not going to be able to do it by himself. It by himself. Hes going to need the support hes going to need the support of his subordinates, hes going of his subordinates, hes going oneed the support of the veteran oneed the support of the veteran community and organizations to community and organizations to pull this off. Pull this off. Rick a new audit found that rick a new audit found that 60 of the pressured to gain 60 of the pressured to gain wait times make them look wait times make them look favorable. Favorable. It it sounds almost sounds almost institutionalized. Institutionalized. Shinseki said are l things would shinseki said are l things would change. Change. That barely that barely rrnlg scratches the rrnlg scratches the surface. Surface. Were not scratches the were not scratches the surface. Surface. We never we never believed that believed that resignation of secretary resignation of secretary shinseki is part of the answer. Shinseki is part of the answer. Its what its what gets this done at this gets this done at this point. Point. First and foremost, managers at first and foremost, managers at every level, in new number 1 in every level, in new number 1 in their Job Description which is their Job Description which is that they that they acknowledge that if acknowledge that if they lie or falsify or dont they lie or falsify or dont tell the whole truth or cause tell the whole truth or cause any of those things to happen in any of those things to happen in reporting, incidents and or reporting, incidents and or statistics, that it is grounds statistics, that it is grounds for immediate suspension and for immediate suspension and proceedings for dismissal. Proceedings for dismissal. Because its become a corporate because its become a Corporate Culture over a long period of culture over a long period of time, that you fudge the numbers time, that you fudge the numbers to look better. To look better. Not just to your supervisors but not just to your supervisors but frankly to the congress. Frankly to the congress. And congress is not clean in all and congress is not clean in all of this of this because while of late, because while of late, certainly chairman miller and certainly chairman miller and Ranking Member mitch on the Ranking Member mitch on the house side and Bernie Miller on house side and Bernie Miller on the senate side are trying to the senate side are trying to get to the accountability get to the Accountability Measures that are going to make measures that are going to make sense. Sense. So that needs to start first so that needs to start first off. Off. Secondly we need the pass the secondly we need the pass the management accountability act to management accountability act to let the senate pass their let the senate pass their version and then negotiate it version and then negotiate it and get it signed and get it in and get it signed and get it in so that people at the so that people at the very top very top of at the Senior Executive of at the Senior ExecutiveService Level frankly, theyre Service Level frankly, theyre making big bucks. Making big bucks. When you are making more than when you are making more than 200,000 a year we dont think 200,000 a year we dont think that you need the same that you need the same protections as ograde 7 or a protections as ograde 7 or a grade 4 whos making 35,000 a grade 4 whos making 35,000 a year and trying to support their year and trying to support their family. Family. Most of the people at va i will most of the people at va i will say including at vha do great say including at vha do great things for vets and they come in things for vets and they come in because and they stay in the because and they stay in the system despite things that they system despite things that they dont like. Dont like. Because they care about because they care about veterans. Veterans. So first thing is working on the so first thing is working on the culture. Culture. The second thing is redeploy the second thing is redeploy everybody who has trained as a everybody who has trained as a clinician within the veterans clinician within the Veterans Health administration at least Health Administration at least four days to serve patients. Four days to serve patients. The simple fact is there are not the simple fact is there are not enough doctors and other allied enough doctors and other allied health care or clinicians in health care or clinicians in order to meet the needs and order to meet the needs and thats why theyre fudging. Thats why theyre fudging. Sorry to interrupt but i was sorry to interrupt but i was reading earlier that in the last reading earlier that in the last three years primary care visits three years primary care visits went up 50 but the number of went up 50 but the number of 9 . 9 . Thats correct. Thats correct. There arent enough doctors. There arent enough doctors. Thats what im talking about. Thats what im talking about. People who write reports and in people who write reports and in fact are trained clinically, fact are trained clinically, need to get back ton line. Need to get back ton line. Doesnt matter if youre a clerk doesnt matter if youre a clerk or a cook or whatever, when you or a cook or whatever, when you br to get br to get overrun about to overrun about to get get overrun everybody becomes a overrun everybody becomes a rifleman. Rifleman. It is about carry for have it it is about carry for have it veterans. Veterans. The other thing we strongly urge the other thing we strongly urge to this still is a crisis, it to this still is a crisis, it hasnt diminished. Hasnt diminished. For president to mobilize for president to mobilize National Guard and reserve National Guard and reserve medical units to stop creeping medical units to stop creeping patients for top 10 or 12 patients for top 10 or 12 medical conditions that to cause medical conditions that to cause people to die within the vaif people to die within the vaif and screen them right at the and screen them right at the outset immediately and to detail outset immediately and to detail them as immediately as next week them as immediately as next week and keep them there for 30 o90 and keep them there for 30 o90 days while va pluses days while va pluses up, the up, the permanent staff. Permanent staff. Lou you know the american lou you know the American Legion legion supported shinseki until supported shinseki until recently. Recently. Hes wellknown for speaking hes wellknown for speaking out, the need to support out, the need to support American Veterans in 1993. American veterans in 1993. But did veterans think he would but did veterans think he would be a new breed of va chief, a be a new breed of va chief, a creator who didnt care what creator who didnt care what feathers were ruffled and feathers were ruffled and finally save the va . Finally save the va . Lisa, thats correct. Lisa, thats correct. When he was first nominated and when he was first nominated and confirmed as secretary of confirmed as secretary of Veterans Affairs. Veterans affairs. We thought we were getting a we thought we were getting a trail blazer. Trail blazer. We thought we were getting we thought we were getting exactly that person you exactly that person you described, someone who wasnt described, someone who wasnt afraid to roughly feathers, afraid to roughly feathers, someone who wasnt afraid to someone who wasnt afraid to lead. Lead. The dynamic changed for shnlz. The dynamic changed for shnlz. He no longer shinseki. He no longer shinseki. He no longer had aring soldiers. He no longer had aring soldiers. He had a federal bureaucracy he had a federal bureaucracy working under him that didnt working under him that didnt adhere to the same adhere to the same ethos. Ethos. We called for his resignation we called for his resignation and in addition, we dont and in addition, we dont believe that managers actually believe that managers actually sign any kind of document that sign any kind of document that says that they wont lie. Says that they wont lie. Its understood. Its understood. Its just like not killing. Its just like not killing. Its understood. Its understood. When you falsify government when you falsify government reports, when you falsify reports, when you falsify documents for personal gain, documents for personal gain, that is criminal. That is criminal. We dont need to have managers, we dont need to have managers, leaders, se sfort employees wage leaders, se sfort employees wage grade grade ses employees say, we ses employees say, we need to act on this now. Need to act on this now. And Sloane Gibson will be and Sloane Gibson will be working with the veteran working with the veteran community so that we can try to community so that we can try to address this from the inside address this from the inside out. Out. So you know lou, one of the so you know lou, one of the things youve got to ask is, is things youve got to ask is, is it fair that shinseki is taking it fair that shinseki is taking the blame here . The blame here . Because i mean this guy had a because i mean this guy had a lot on his plate, a lot of big lot on his plate, a lot of big issues, homeless veterans, issues, homeless veterans, veterans on welfare, the veterans on welfare, the overprescribing of prescription overprescribing of prescription to veterans in the system. To veterans in the system. Is it fair that he actually had is it fair that he actually had intimate knowledge of this or is intimate knowledge of this or is this an attempt to satisfy the this an attempt to satisfy the need of the public to have need of the public to have someone to blame . Someone to blame . No absolutely not, it was his no absolutely not, it was his job to know what was going on. Job to know what was going on. As a matter of fact it wasnt as a matter of fact it wasnt that he was completely blind that he was completely blind sided. Sided. He was being told not only by he was being told not only by congressional officials but also congressional officials but also his Management Committee his Management Committee that that his being associates werent his being associates werent being honest with him. Being honest with him. As a professional military as a professional military leader it is leader it is your professional your professional responsibility the know when responsibility the know when your subordinates are lying to your subordinates are lying to you. You. Thats what we expect any leader thats what we expect any leader to could and someone especially to could and someone especially in charge of a large bureaucracy in charge of a large bureaucracy like the va to do. Like the va to do. We expect that general shinseki, we expect that general shinseki, being secretary shinseki being secretary shinseki did did wonderful things while at the wonderful things while at the va, with respect to lowering the va, with respect to lowering the homelessness rate, the g. I. Homelessness rate, the g. I. Billion, opening the va for more billion, opening the va for more presumptive illnesses like agent presumptive illnesses like agent orange. Orange. Thats exactly why the american thats exactly why the American Legion defended him when that legion defended him when that time article came out a year and time article came out a year and a half ago asking him to resign a half ago asking him to resign then. Then. We felt he needed more time. We felt he needed more time. We worked more closely with him we worked more closely with him at that time to try give him the at that time to try give him the benefit of the doubt on thighs benefit of the doubt on thighs issues at the veterans hospitals issues at the veterans hospitals and since then we have and since then we have completely lost confidence. Completely lost confidence. Thank you gentlemen for thank you gentlemen for receiving us. Receiving us. From the Services Received by a from the Services Received by a wide range of veterans to those wide range of veterans to those who just got home from war, the who just got home from war, the focus is often political and the focus is often political and the soldiers in battle soldiers in battle could get could get lost in lost in corengal. Corengal. You do taicialg things and you do taicialg things and you have to live with them you have to live with them afterwards. Afterwards. It messes with your head in it messes with your head in every every way. Way. Im not doing this for im not doing this for resignation frorecognition from. Resignation frorecognition from. Im not doing this so somebody im not doing this so somebody goes, wow. Goes, wow. Except for those guys to my left except for those guys to my left and my right. And my right. Antonio mora caught anto