Faso Blasts VA Secretary's Disney Remarks

Press Release

John Faso,the endorsed Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party candidate running for Congress in the 19th Congressional District, today blasted Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald's absurd and insensitive remarks that compared the length of time veterans wait for health care to that of a long line at Disneyland.

"Secretary McDonald's remarks are not only out-of-line and insensitive to the brave men and women who have served our country, but they are also a complete fantasy when you consider the reality on the ground," Faso said. "As many as two-thirds of veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are not receiving treatment for any number of reasons. Far too many veterans are not getting the adequate mental health and job placement services they need and deserve from the VA.

"By comparing something as important as the care we provide to veterans to something as trivial as a long wait at the Magic Kingdom, Secretary McDonald is showing that he is tone-deaf to the very issues he is supposed to command," Faso continued. "Our veterans deserve better."

While at a breakfast at the Christian Science Monitor today, VA Secretary McDonald told reporters that the long lines at Disney are comparable to the wait times that veterans experience for health care services, and that they shouldn't get caught up with the time it takes to deliver such care, but rather the end result and overall satisfaction.

Faso's criticism also come after he released a detailed plan to ensure no member of our armed services falls through the bureaucratic cracks of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and that military veterans receive the necessary care, treatment and job placement services upon returning home from service at home and abroad.

Faso's plan recognizes the severity of the problem, especially when you consider the following:

31% percent of Vietnam veterans and 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
More than 20% of veterans with PTSD also have Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
31% of women veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who were diagnosed with PTSD reported Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
19% of veterans may have Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
As many as two-thirds of veterans suffering from PTSD are not receiving treatment.
As part of his recently released proposal to address such problems, Faso formed an advisory group comprised of veterans across the 11-county district who will work with him to provide guidance and advice on a range of veteran-related issues, including access to quality healthcare. He is also proposing to establish a competitive grant program at the federal level that would be paid for with an estimated $40 million a year in savings through 2024 by capping bonuses of senior executives at the VA and finding further savings through an audit of federal mental health programs under SAMHSA.

The way this plan would work is that county mental health and veterans services offices would provide facilities and services such a group therapy, grief counseling, drug and alcohol counseling and job placement. Working in conjunction with established nonprofits, meetings would be held two to five times per week, and clinical professionals would provide follow-ups and referrals if necessary. Training would be provided according to best practices established by nonprofits such as Vet2Vet. The measure would also extend hours at VA outpatient pharmacies nationwide to include nights and weekends, comparable with retail pharmacies, and allow veterans to seek immediate behavioral health care outside the VA system for those currently eligible for the Veterans Choice Program.

Faso is running to fill the seat now held by Congressman Chris Gibson (R), who is not seeking re-election. As a member of the New York Assembly, Faso developed and pushed proposals that led to real balanced budgets -- including the first reduction in state spending in decades while closing a $5 billion deficit. He championed legislation that made a difference for tens of thousands of families such as the STAR program and education and real property tax reform. A former board member of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Faso also served for three years as a member of the Control Board that worked to fix the financial and managerial issues of the City of Buffalo and its school system.

Mr. Faso and his wife, Mary Frances, a registered nurse, are the proud parents of two children. They have lived in Kinderhook, New York, for more than three decades.

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