Arlington, Va. – Department of Veterans Affairs employees who are being fired amidst a nationwide VA scandal have got to be treated with respect and “allowed a certain due process,” VA Secretary Bob McDonald said yesterday at a press conference in Memphis. He also refused to disclose how many VA employees are being fired.
Pete Hegseth, CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, issued the following statement in reaction to McDonald’s press conference:
“It’s sad to see that Secretary McDonald has already gone native with the VA bureaucracy. He’s urging respect for failing employees, but what about respect for the veterans—who fought for our country and our freedom and were put on secret waiting lists and forced to wait months for an appointment, or even worse, died waiting to receive healthcare at a VA facility? Why urge respect for unaccountable bureaucrats who tried to cover up this scandal and who have been receiving lavish bonuses for years?
“There’s no honeymoon period or deference given to scandal. It’s time for Secretary McDonald to take decisive action by using the tools that Congress gave him via the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act.
“And we would also like to remind the secretary that firing power isn’t just for corruption or criminal acts—it’s for incompetence, poor attitude, and poor leadership. The only way to truly reform the VA is to change the culture, and the only way to change the culture is to not only fire criminal actors but also poor performers. As someone who ran a for-profit organization, he should know that.”
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Concerned Veterans for America is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for policies that will preserve the freedom and liberty we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.