CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. RUSS CARNAHAN (D), MISSOURI: It absolutely makes your blood boil. The VA has a solemn responsibility to take care of our veterans. This is not the battle they need to be fighting now, and we have to get to the bottom of this. So this cannot happen again and be sure that the people that were put at risk are evaluated quickly.

PHILLIPS: Well, here's what - I mean, obviously, we all have a lot of frustration with the VA, and we have been covering these stories time and time again on how our veterans are getting such poor care and we're revealing stories like this.

But even just listening to the representative, just a moment ago, from the hospital saying sometimes policies just aren't followed, that's unacceptable.

CARNAHAN: That's just so unacceptable, and, again, we got to have higher standards than that at the VA. Our veterans deserve it, and it also had a chilling effect on health care for all veterans. When they hear these kinds of stories, people tend to wonder, should I even go to the VA. We cannot have that. We need toe have confidence in the VA, in their professionalism. We got to get to the bottom of this and be sure they have high standards -

PHILLIPS: All right.

CARNAHAN: - that they deserve.

PHILLIPS: Tell me what you are going to be able to do. What are you demanding? What are you asking for? What kind of pressure are you putting on the VA? How do we know that a vet coming into that hospital today is going to get good care?

CARNAHAN: Well, first and foremost, we've got to evaluate these almost 2,000 veterans that were exposed to hepatitis or HIV. They say the risk is low, but the consequences are dire. So we got to evaluate those almost 2,000 veterans promptly to get to the bottom of this instance but then we got to get to the broader question of how we maintain those professional standards, not just at the VA, Cochran VA in St. Louis but across the country. There's been too many stories like this. We have to focus on standards and accountability.

PHILLIPS: So has Shinseki responded to you? Have you gotten a phone call from the VA?

CARNAHAN: We just found out about this, just corresponded yesterday. We are going to be following up today in terms of action through the VA but also talking with the chairman of our Veterans Committee in the House to see if any action needs to be taken there.

PHILLIPS: I sure hope these vets that have been exposed to hepatitis and possibly HIV aren't going to have to pay to get checked again. Are they going to be taken care of, congressman? Will they get checked properly and not have to pay for it, pay for this mistake?

CARNAHAN: They have set up a free clinic and a 24-hour hot line. So that has been done. I do give the VA marks for setting that up, but, again, this is terrible to be having to do this after the fact.

PHILLIPS: Well, Congressman Russ Carnahan, we are counting on you to make a difference here. We don't want to see our vets suffer anymore. Thanks for your time today.

CARNAHAN: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: The law maybe dry but Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is not. Amid her serious testimony, she let some zingers fly. You'll hear them.

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