Sen. Rubio joins calls for VA secretary's resignation

Florida senator says VA hospital scandal is 'even worse than we thought'

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio joins a growing list of lawmakers calling for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to resign after learning that VA hospitals across had waits of 100 days or more for veterans to be seen by doctors.

The Republican from Florida didn't mince words.

"The inspector general's report not only confirmed our worst fears about rampant mismanagement and institutional neglect at the VA, it also revealed the problem is even worse than we thought. In light of the report, it is clear now that Secretary Shinseki should tender his resignation to the President, and President Obama should accept it."

Rubio is the Senate's original sponsor of the VA Accountability Act of 2014. In addition to calling on Shinseki to resign he says the Senate needs to respond to the systemic problems at the VA with meanigful, common sense reform.

Rubio says that Shinseki "should not shoulder the blame alone."

Current law prohibits Shinseki –- and whoever might succeed him -– from firing the very people that the inspector general found responsible for the ‘daily mismanagement, inappropriate hiring decisions, sexual harassment, and bullying behavior' that contributed to the shameful conditions throughout the VA system.

"Fifty senators... have now signaled their support for common sense legislation that the Senate could pass and send to the President as early as next week. This is the same legislation that passed the House 390-33."

"This legislation would bring basic accountability to the VA and ensure the people responsible for the gross negligence and mistreatment of our nation's heroes are punished," Rubio added.


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