Daines on American Legion's Call for VA Secretary Resignation: Veterans Deserve Answers

Press Release

Following the American Legion's call for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to resign, Steve Daines today demanded that the VA provide answers regarding recent reports of VA hospitals purposely hiding delays in treatments and problems resulting in preventable deaths of veterans awaiting health care services.

"The deliberate effort to conceal delays that resulted in preventable veterans deaths and failure in accountability demonstrated by several VA hospitals is abhorrent and completely unacceptable. America's veterans don't just deserve answers--they deserve better," Daines stated."Leadership starts at the top, and I demand that the VA officials involved, as well as those responsible for overseeing these health centers, are held responsible for these deeply disappointing actions and serious breach of our veterans' trust. Our veterans have given their all in service to our nation--giving them anything less than the best is unacceptable."

Daines' call for answers follows a roundtable discussion Daines held this morning with Bozeman-area veterans representing the Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion Posts #14 and #30. Persistent delays in receiving VA health care services and a lack of accountability at the VA were major topics of conversation during todays' roundtable at the American Legion in Bozeman.

Daines has long called for reforms to address longstanding delays in addressing veterans' benefits claims and to ensure that the VA more efficiently and effectively meets Montana veterans' needs.

Last week, Daines helped pass the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which provides $7.5 billion for programs designed to address veterans' mental health needs and increases funding for suicide prevention outreach by $20 million.

The legislation directs the VA to provide a detailed expenditure plan for all suicide outreach programs within 30 days after the bill is signed and strongly encourages the VA to maximize the availability of mental health services to veterans who were victims of sexual assault.

The bill works to modernize and better facilitate interoperability between the DoD and VA electronic health records system by adopting reforms comparable to those found in the 21st Century Health Care for Heroes Act (H.R. 2590), which Daines co-sponsored.

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