host: the scenes in washington d.c. at the korean war memorial. also nearby is the vietnam war memorial and the world war ii potomac isross the arlington national cemetery. willdent donald trump deliver remarks. we'll have live coverage 11:00 eastern time here on c-span. caldwell. welcome dan good monday morning. you want to talk about a piece hillrote for the newspaper. monday cannot buy v.a. reform. the time when which administration is providing vast resources for the military and veterans, chaste your -- what's your point. guest: thank you for having me on. is that the v.a. has received mass budget increases on terrorglobal war began in 2001. under the obama v.a.'strationing saw the budget both discretionary combined go up 84%. massive increase in budget far outpace any increase and demand. anybody can look at the v.a. over the past decade that thatand say additional investment improved the agency. in factor, under the obama at thetration, things v.a. got worse. scandalsultiple involving the resources whether overs the billion dollar budget, va hospital in colorado, hospital projects awarding of bonuses of people who didn't it.rve massive disability claims. the system thein worse it got. main message is that, money v.a. solve the problems at the v.a. needs reform. they need to change how they deliver healthcare. needs to provide more accountability for its employees. it's almost impossible to fire or really discipline an employee guilty of misconduct or poor performance. this is something the v.a. as atary has identified problem. can'tample, he decided he fire v.a. employee which spent 60 days in jail. of v.a.e other stories employees committing similar crimes and whether it's armed robber in puerto rico. the current law does not allow fired for aes to be lot of misconduct. that is unfortunating. changed.s to be if you don't have accountability in the system, there's not an incentive to do the right thing and disincentive to do the wrong thing. host: let me share with you some of the reforms the department is at.ing it's called the veterans choice program. attendw veterans to non-v.a. medical facilities. the current v.a. medical facility cannot schedule you eif it's more than 40-miles from your home and if you have excessive travel burdens. reform that -- reform part of the you're talking about? guest: we thought that was a step in the right direction in 2014. needs to go further. unfortunately the veteran choice program is not been implemented well. we need to go to a choice program that allows all veterans the v.a. to have the choice to use their v.a. benefits access care and private sector. i think that will incentivize competition. a will help veteran who are stuck in a bad va hospital get hospital.de of that it will provide veterans more option for healthcare. we don't think that's a bad thing. to serve your country, you should have at least some choice where you get healthcare. host: let me get your reaction secretary. on that topic. [video clip] we did envision the choice program to be a temporary program. understanding it was really supposed to be a bridge for the the to transition to community care program and until we can get the community care a place where it's able to provide the kind of services that we need it to. then can not the case, you explain the differences between the two and you've also choice 2.0. ande have choice 2.0 community care. i'm not sure how it would ultimately help us realize our goals efficiency if we have three different programs in the to help make sure we can meet the needs of our veterans. >> couldn't agree with you more. i'm looking for one program. three programs doesn't work. we now know having two programs, that didn't work very well. veterans.d we had two programs, community care and choice they had different rules. veterans at risk in their credit. some paid for dollars and others didn't. you had call different numbers to use them. are proposing a single care.m for community as far as the intent of congress for three years, congress a big way after basically then country and congress agreed that the current situation with waiting for care was unacceptable. v.a. did exactly what congress ask us to do, which is to put in place additional options for veterans to get care in the community. now you're seeing those authorizations and appointments occur in the community. when i started v.a. little bit had than two years ago, we 20% of our care in the community. today it's about 32%. see we're expanding those options. i don't think there's any this.g back from whether it was intended to be authorized for three years or not, that's what the legislation said, i think what we seeing is, veterans need that care. coming to v.a. to seek that care. we need to continue to support that. that's my opinion. the $3.5 billion that was build into the program is very much a needed resource for our veterans. host: get your reaction dan caldwell. away?as your take guest: first of all, i think aat the doctor has been doing great job being secretary so far. he's got a lot of challenges. in my mind, he's embracing the right concepts for changing the v.a. whether that's more accountability for bad v.a. employees and more choice for veterans. what he's acknowledging is some problems at the current veteran choice program. some of the confusion and need to really change that program next couple of years to ensure that veterans have choice bettert the v.a. is integrated with the private sector. particularly on the healthcare side. there's more options for veterans. also too, if a v.a. is under or over capacity, they can better integrate with the private healthcare sector so they're sending veterans outside the system when it's needed. been one the problems int the v.a. has been off silo as a healthcare system. it hasn't benefited veterans. it probably hurt some isolated private sector medical system. areas whereural veterans are driving past and rural hospitals. like in my state of arizona, when they could have been going medical caresome at a va hospital. graduate of arizona state university. how many tours? guest: i served in marine corps for two years. i spent some time at camp david. me quickly ask you about concerned veterans for america. the organization who funds it. founded?it guest: we don't talk who the are.s we are founded by thousands of patriotic citizens. founded in 2012. we're currently in 36 state. of -- the mission is to advocate for policy that prosperitye freedom we fought and sacrificed for while in uniform. opposed to lot of the other organizations we focus andhe policy education advocacy side. we educate veterans on why certain policies are good for the v.a. and defense department turn them into activist so they can advocate for those policies with their elected officials. veteran service organization do a lot of great work helping otherns with claims and issues with the v.a. and other services. changingfocus is on policy. host: cv4a.org. that's the website if you want to get more information. is dan caldwell. he is director of policy for that organization. joining us from arizona. gentlemen.d morning i'm a 70-year-old disable vet. love the v.a. cancer for 21ate like a private there. i love the v.a. only problem that i have now is .as v.a. is travel now it takes four weeks to get your money. just not right. the v.a. is a wonderful system. best in the world. if there wasn't for the v.a., i be dead. host: thank you. tost: i'm absolutely happy hear you having a great v.a.ience with the i think that we hear a lot about who are happy with the v.a. that's why we want to give veterans who are having a good the v.a. theth choice to leave. -- i think that overall, a lot of veterans that use the v.a. are getting good having athat they are positive experience. there's a significant number of can't gethat either timely care, that can't get their benefits in a timely manner and are stuck in a hospital that is not high ther one genee attends. our message is that veterans ofuld have the choice choosing to remain in the v.a. system or taking their benefit sectoressing a private provider. we aren't proposing dismantling or privatizing it. we ultimately think that's not way to go. ensure all veterans who use the v.a. can access quality care using their benefits at a v.a. system, outside.e v.a. or host: washington examiner, senate takes up reform when they return this week. saying they need to be more accountable. what does that mean? how do you make the v.a. more accountable? guest: we were talking about a piece of legislation called the v.a. accountability and ofstleblower protectioning a 2017. this is a bill currently before the full senate. it's part of series of bills that have been going back and forth between the house and senate. it passed three or four months ago. it make it easier to fire and employees who engage in misconduct. right now, it's too difficult to do that. we talked about stories earlier in the show. another example is from the phoenix, arizona, three of the executives involved in the scandal were veterans dying on the wait list. after itver 700 days was found they knew about the wait list and were involved in it to fire them. that's unacceptable. you can't have a functioning don'tcare system if you have accountability for employees engage in misconduct. bill will throw them out. lot of the v.a. secretary revoke bonuses awarded in error. also reduce the pensions of v.a. employee who are found to have .ngaged in felonies common sense reform. we think it will pass the senate next week. oppositions. veteran group groups are unitedd this. host: bill joining us from new with dan caldwell with concerned veterans of america. caller: good morning. with my v.a.blems service. during this hoopla of problems had a mass, we from the v.a. doctors v.a. here in new mexico. lost the best doctor i ever had. since then i've been transferred times to different doctors that don't satisfy my needs. i live in the rural area and i problems with transportation. my records were lost twice. when i filed for my claim, they couldn't find my medical records. during this hoopla, they were again. they were left in a bathroom at v.a., 2 million records. the v.a., these servers, they want their money right away. righta. does not pay away. host: bill, thank you. guest: you're talking about a problem that you've heard about and at concerned veterans for america. the lack ofards to containment. by the v.a. that's been a problem that's for years.on i used to be a congressional staffer in one of the issues help with is constituents in our district who issues get reimbursed from the v.a. existoice program didn't when i was working for member of arizona.out in this is something needs to work on. something that needs to be fixed in the near future. a system where it's more community care or choice program or another program. big problem. in regards to your records, iat's actually problem experienced myself in utilizing v.a. i can really empathize with you on that point. host: kenneth, jacksonville, north carolina, good morning. caller: my name is kenneth. i've been in military for 21 years served in vietnam and beirut. my question is, the clinics they are not upe veterans to par. a number one is, every time you to get an x-ray, they got to send you 20 or 30 miles to get an x-ray. number two is, when you put in the doctors to fill them out and you send them to the main regional office to days,led, 90 days to 100 forever. guest: these are common problems the show today. you happen to go 20 or 30 miles when there'sare probably private care much cloys closer. need to choice and you have the ability to choose. not easy conflicts to be part of. particularly -- you served your country in very tough circumstances. right to useve the your benefits that you earned. longe not having to drive distances to access the care. if you like your v.a. provider, you ultimately think it's worth driving that far to access care, you should have the ability to do that. access case, you prefer to private provider that's closer. i'm sure there are many that are closer than 20 or 30 miles. timeslast july military wrote about a story new v.a. study. average 20 veterans committing suicide every single day. why? guest: there's a whole host of reasons. issues inst complex veterans face. answer why an easy this is happening. one thing we do see, we get veterans access to mental healthcare. whether it's through the v.a. or sources. their likelihood of them committing suicide goes down substantially. years, it hasent gotten better in the last couple of years or so. there's still issues. problems with wait times for mental healthcare providers. lot of facilities. get there in a timely manner. like iowa, arizona and veterans can't get in to see mental health providers. that's not acceptable. to solution is v.a. needs find ways to provide mental manner.re to more rapid have a veteran crisis line, that was having issues late last year. they've. resolved and hope that's the case. is part of anthis access issue. problems v.a.the having. can't get veterans access to that care. v.a.'st entirely the fault. the military not providing the on thental healthcare tail end of the veteran service. there's problems with isolation in society. whole host of other issues. lot of these veterans actually are not recent veterans. they're not veteran of the recent conflict. cases, their circumstances are not related to their service driving whether it's economic issues, personal issues, for years they were fine but then they had a personal crisis in their life. that caused them to commit suicide. overall it's a complex issue. to fix.ething we got host: we're talking with dan caldwell. the day we pay tribute to those who are no lop with us. help the organization family members of those who lost ones? guest: we have supported some organizations in the past that do help with that. we supported like operation 300. that dooups like that --t freeport alliance, freedom alliance is an outstanding group. focus is changing policies so that families are of.er taken care there are a lot of great organizations out there. i advise anybody that donates to organizations do your homework. sadly, lot of groups out there not doingcams and are right by the families. as?: such guest: i will not name names. there's a lot of reports. use resources to investigate them. look at where the resources are going. pope's a lot of groups that up. just the other day i got a phone phone group that was called united disable veterans of america. i don't know anything about this group. they're asking for money. i try to find a website, no website. for a creditg card. things like that usually if they don't have a website or other that you can look at, sign. usually a warning host: gordon from wyoming, good morning. caller: good morning gentlemen. thanks for having the show on this morning. i'm retired military and coast army, coastard reserves in order. i thank the good lord and the coast guard what i have. medicare, i was in v.a. in cheyenne, they treated me just wonderful. great.re when denver shut down denver trying to build a new va hospital. the old va hospital stripped , cheyenne got overwhelmed. i had good care. other comment please. world war ii vets, all of us recent veterans from the middle east, we should take a look at vets.war ii us onet good example for in there.and hanging alcohol.problems with certainly. more recent problems with combined with marijuana use. one of the other might be less problematic. when you have the two together, of that.lot .eal psychological problems host: thank you for the call. guest: i'm glad that you had within they care v.a. you describe a problem that we hear a lot about. veterans that receive care at one va hospital, that's great they move to another and that care drops off. it's an example how there's not consistent level of care throughout the department. you might have three or four one region ofs in the country or one state. if you go to the neighboring poorlythey have a very performing system. even within some hospitals, one othersmight be great and not so great. that's unfortunate. substance abuse. that is an issue that veterans deal with. have to that going back to the veterans alsode problem contributing to that. one quick thing about the world ii venge, i was told that you stand on the shoulder of giants. and uniformyou comes from those who have gone before you. whether it's world war ii, veterans, designated storm veterans, veterans that in iraq ander afghanistan. we stand on the shoulders of giants. amounts have tremendous of respect for veterans that come from me. especially the world war ii generation. the senate is back debate on, accountability and whistleblower. a moment ago.t theslation would include the following elements. easing the service, allowing the employees to fire including executives. ofse employees found guilty wrong doing will be prohibited from getting bonus. it require the v.a. to evaluate interviews on their ability to protect whistleblower. alabama.m good morning. caller: good morning. haven't had much trouble with at the v.a. system. inostly use the clinics alabama. health and physical clinic. the doctors that sit behind the desk and answer the telephone. i had trouble getting somebody to answer the telephone and return my calls. i've had them mess up appointments to where it was my health situation. waiting two weeks i'm months. guest: i'm sorry about your in mental care facilities. an areaunfortunately where there are access issues at the v.a. facilities. in regards to the schedulers and deal with the administrative a common problem we hear about. those were unfortunately some of led to theecks that v.a. wait list scandal. i hope you're able to work problem.hose i'm glad to hear, once you get an appointment, you are getting quality care. host: virginia beach, virginia, morning. caller: i'm calling regarding my husband to the veterans. in private sector hospital and they wanted to another private sector hospital. accept my husband for a heart problem because the not pay their bills from two years ago from another patient. they're refusing care to my save his life. , theygh the veterans no., they would not put in a heart pump. guest: i'm sorry to hear that. peopleone of the many across the country dealing with direct issues as a result of problem in making prompt payments. one thing i would highly recommend is if you haven't already, contact your local congressman. have staff that are specifically designated to help with issues like this. they can hopefully help resolve this. this is another example, very common issues that we see across the v.a. i'm sorry to hear that. host: dan caldwell. go to www. an www.vb4a.org. those are the best ways to stay outouch with us and find how to get involved and learn more about our issues. host: thank you very much for stopping by. we appreciate it. coming up in a couple of minutes we'll -- we'll turn our attention to money and politics. mile beckel will be joining us. this is the 100th birthday of our 35th president. steven rothstein will be joining the kennedy library foundation in boston, massachusetts. more live scenes from around the mall. took 60 years after the end thise world war ii for memorial commemorating those who died in the pacific and atlantic deleter. commemorated by president george w. bush on memorial day weekend in 2004. on thise here today memorial day monday as "washington journal" continues. back in a moment.