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April 27, 2010 in Nation/World
Congressman accuses VA of ‘noncompliance’
Requests for information include veteran suicide prevention efforts
WASHINGTON — A key House member asked Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to explain an apparent “emerging pattern of agency noncompliance” with congressional requests for information about veteran suicide and other issues.
Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., canceled a hearing on suicide prevention efforts, which was scheduled for Wednesday, saying he was upset about the witnesses the agency wanted to send. Mitchell is chairman of the House subcommittee with oversight over the VA.
Mitchell said in a letter to Shinseki, dated Friday and released this week, that he’s heard complaints from other members of Congress about requests for information going unanswered or taking too long.
“Our subcommittee has an obligation, on behalf of the nation’s veterans, to examine the VA’s efforts to address the problem,” Mitchell said. “We cannot, however, conduct our work without access to appropriate witnesses and appropriate information from the Department of Veterans Affairs.”
Katie Roberts, a VA spokeswoman, said in a statement Tuesday the VA takes seriously its responsibility to provide Congress with information. She said the VA offered to make Janet Kemp, the VA’s national suicide prevention coordinator, available for the hearing.
“We have had a very positive relationship with Congress,” Roberts said.
Suicides among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have been a lingering problem. Last year, the Army saw a record number. Available data through 2007 shows a higher rate of suicide among those who served in the recent conflicts and left the military, compared to the general population.
To combat the problem, the VA hired thousands of new suicide prevention coordinators and created a suicide prevention hot line.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Ancient Roman wrecks found in deep water 
Another_Perspective on April 27 at 11:47 a.m.
The VA is a sad sad joke. Shinseki is doing his best, but its like a tide of incompetence and bureaucracy.
When was the last time any VA employee was terminated?
So with the increase in veterans coming back, is the increase for credible VA funding been comensurate? Nope. Bandaids…is all they give out. They dont care about curing the diseases. Lets dope em up and shutter them. Out of sight, out of mind.
opiemuyo on April 27 at 3:08 p.m.
Government run healthcare, get ready for this!
spokanada on April 27 at 5:01 p.m.
Steve, How is this related to Health care? Shinseki is a four star general now acting as Secretary of Veterans Affair.
Please keep your mouth shut when you have no idea what you are talking about.
misjustice on April 27 at 5:14 p.m.
This is one of the “costs” of war; and another reason to NEVER lie our way into one (right, W?).
The economist, Joseph Stiglitz, was correct in his analysis of the costs of Iraq > $3 Trillion dollars; the Cheney administration told us that oil revenues would pay for the costs of the war, another LIE.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030702846.html
The VA Hospital here, in Spokane, overall does a good job; given their budgetary constraints. And the VA does have the ability to buy its drugs in bulk, and to negotiate the costs. A problem that plagues all VA Hospitals is there is not enough $$$ to always deliver the level of care that many severely injured Vets need (including those suffering with PTSD).
But don’t even talk of raising taxes…cue the hue and cry, now..
Everyone loves the solider when our uniforms are shiny and new; not so when we cost $$$…sadly… : (
Another_Perspective on April 27 at 5:42 p.m.
So misjustice what rank did you hold in the Salvation Army band?
misjustice on April 27 at 6:37 p.m.
another negative perspective = dropped on head at birth.
You wouldn’t even have been able to pass the physical to get into the Armed Forces (they do UAs on all entrants), let alone the written test. And you definately would not have been able to survive boot camp, a little sniveling boy like you would have gotten his posterior kicked on a daily basis.
Yeah, go ahead and try with your little pathetic attempts to belittle or make fun of my service to the country, but I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be; like it’s hard? At least I served, which is more than you can say girly man!
Thayne on April 27 at 7:23 p.m.
I served 20 years in the Marines and retired about 15 years ago. Since then I would give the VA a B+ overall, based on my experiences. Some VA facilities have been better than others. The Spokane VA has been good. The employees I’ve dealt with have been professional and courteous, and the care effective. There are some things I would like to see improved, but there is only so much money to go around. Thank you for serving misjustice. Steve - what is so scary about government run health care? We are the only industrialized nation without it. People in countries like England, France and Canada are very happy with it. If it was correctly implemented and we kept crooks like those at Goldman-Sachs away from it, peoples lives would be better. Boy what a surprise - Another_Perspective being a negative bully again. You’re not a glass half empty person - you don’t even see the glass. Lighten up you might live longer.
liarsinnews on April 27 at 10:54 p.m.
I truly believe our boys who served their country deserve the benefit. There is a price for war and the political pimps who are paid off by the oil tycoons to enter into one should be put into a mandatory salary the same as our service men are paid when the war starts. Period!