Washington, D.C. – Senator Johnson made the following comments today on the resignation of the VA Secretary.

“Although I have never met Gen. Shinseki, his many honors and support within the military and veteran communities lead me to believe he is an honorable man.  But he was tasked with an almost impossible mission.   As far as I am concerned, his resignation as secretary of Veterans Affairs was a decision made appropriately between him and President Obama.

“I have visited the VA hospitals and other facilities serving Wisconsin veterans multiple times, with visits to Milwaukee and Madison just this week.  My general impression has always been that the VA personnel — doctors, nurses, administrators and other staff — are dedicated to providing high quality care on a timely basis to the finest among us.  As in any organization, I am sure, there are some bad apples, and the ongoing problems within the VA system can in part be attributed to bad management and other personnel issues. 

“But the root cause of the problem lies in the fact that the VA is a government bureaucracy — a government-run health care system.  On Thursday, I asked administrators in Milwaukee what their biggest challenges are.  In order of priority, their answer was: 1) personnel retention, 2) insufficient infrastructure, 3) bureaucratic impediments and 4) cumbersome information technology.  All are hallmarks of government, and all are unlikely to be “fixed” within a government bureaucracy.  

“My office will continue to gather information to determine the extent of the problems within the VA in Wisconsin and nationally, and will collaboratively develop effective solutions with all parties involved.   The overriding goal is to honor the promises made to those who have sacrificed to make our nation secure.  The best way to achieve that goal is to give veterans the flexibility to access care from the providers that they choose, and over time, to begin to remove bureaucratic impediments by transitioning out of a government-run health care system for veterans.”

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