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Rep. LaMalfa Comments on Resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki

May 30, 2014

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) today released the following statement on the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki:

While Secretary Shinseki's resignation is warranted, his departure will not fix the systemic dysfunction preventing our veterans from receiving the services they have earned. The fact that a decorated and accomplished officer like Secretary Shinseki could not overcome the VA's problems demonstrates just how embedded the bureaucratic mindset truly is.

Ultimately, the failures at Veterans Affairs rest with President Obama. The President promised six years ago to bring the VA into the 21st century, yet under his tenure we've seen a systemic refusal to address veterans' needs, massive wait times and even deaths due to a refusal to provide care.

Make no mistake: the disaster that is Veterans Affairs foreshadows the catastrophe that the President's health care takeover is becoming. If you want to know how an unfettered, unaccountable bureaucracy behaves, look no further than President Obama's Veterans Affairs.

LaMalfa has urged that Congress' investigation of wrongdoing at Veterans Affairs be expanded to include the claim processing system, where whistleblowers recently brought to light an off-books waiting list in which valid benefit claims have languished for years. He also cosponsored a measure, H.R. 4031, cutting the red tape that has prevented negligent VA officials from being fired. The measure was passed on the House floor last week.

A video of Rep. LaMalfa's comments on the House floor regarding Secretary Shinseki's resignation may be found at the following link:https://youtu.be/1iXgQpPfU4s

A video of Rep. LaMalfa's comments on the House floor regarding whistleblower reports from the Oakland VA office may be found at the following link:https://youtu.be/1iXgQpPfU4s

Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.

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