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Andrew Doudna
Professor Harris-Ramsby
English 1010
August 06, 2010
The VA, the Scandal and the congressional protection
The Veterans Affairs has been though many ups and downs over the course of the last
decade. Some issues are prevalent to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; others are more prevalent
to the issues back home. Every Service Member, no matter which branch, are brothers in arms,
we fight for each other and we die for each other. PTSD, and the Veterans Affairs has become a
rampant and festering issue that has corrupted our most core foundation of government, and with
that it has stolen a huge part in my life.
My paper will survey the conversation around the Veterans Health Administration. Indeed,
my research finds that overall, the voices in this conversation are concerned with the health and
well-being of veterans returning from theatre, the corrupted leaders of the Veterans Health
Administration and the overall impact the media has had on the Veterans Health Administration
in the public eye.
Throughout the course of American history wars have been waged, young men and women
continue to give their lives for our freedom that we cherish. There are many thoughts that goes
through a young persons mind the first time they leave their home; what is it going to be like?
Am I going to live? Who will I meet? They do not, however, ask themselves, who will take care
of me when Im injured, both mentally and physically? This is answered by our Government.
Their answer is the Veterans Health Administration, or in short the VA.
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Over the course of the Veterans Affairs 85 glorious years, no generation has been affected as
greatly as this one. Within the last 10 years, due to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom, the country has seen more than two million new veterans walking through
the doors of VA health clinics across the country. Current minority house speaker Nancy Pelosi
says, Maybe when we go into war, we should be thinking about its consequences and its
ramifications. Mrs. Pelosi has a great point, particularly to the Veterans Health Administration.
The Minority House Speaker gives the Veterans Health Administration an alternative.
Obamacare? Mrs. Pelosi writes We have the Affordable Care Act that is out there that is
providing resources for more federally-qualified health clinics around the country. This is a
great idea Mrs. Pelosi! However, the federal funds that support Obamacare are also in the pot
for the Veterans Health Administration. And thus, making Obamacare, the federal funds and the
Veterans Health Administration strained in a three-way struggle for the cheapest care.
However, upon returning home from war, veterans find a new monster to contend with,
besides the aggravation from unending appointments and harassment in VA health clinics; the
simple answer? Employment. Karen McVeigh from TheGuardian writes the unemployment
rate among veterans aged 18-24 was over 30%. In perspective, for the two million veterans that
have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan in the past decade, six hundred thousand of those are
jobless. This is six hundred thousand individuals without income, unable to pay taxes, unable to
support their families and unable to support themselves. With this crisis becoming relevant to
the American people, Mrs. McVeigh writes the Department of Defense has been slow to
address the needs of returning veterans. It would seem, as if, the government is ungrateful for
the sacrifice returning service members gave for the freedom of this great nation.
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Consequently, the Obama Administration has made it very clear they will not help veterans
achieve and type of goals or any aspirations they might have. Obama seems to turn a blind eye
when it comes to veterans and the Veterans Administration. Charles Hoskinson, a writer for The
Examiner, writes there is one thing Obama doesnt talk about, the growing scandal over medical
care for the nations veterans. This is hard to believe, our Commander and Chief over the
military will not, and does not, speak about the atrocities that are conducted at Veterans Health
Clinics across the country. Mr. Hoskinson writes it is not hard to conclude that he doesnt care
about the fact that veterans are dying from bad care in hospitals that are under the direct control
of his administration. CNN has reported that more than 1,000 veterans have died, within the
last decade, of inadequate care and long wait time at VA health clinics. This is 1,000 deaths
outside of combat, back home waiting for care. Curt Devine, a writer and publisher for
conducted an interview with Oklahoma Republican and physician stating if the VAs budget
had been properly handled and the right management had been in place, many of these deaths
could have been avoided. With the Obama administration and the corporate leaders of the
Veterans Administration turning their backs, speculation began to arise on how corrupt the
Veterans Affairs really is.
The Veterans Health Administration scandal became public in May of 2014 when the then
CEO of the VA made evident the long wait times at many health clinics around the country.
General Eric Shinseki is a well-decorated Army General that rose to become the 7
th
United States
Secretary of Veterans Affairs. During General Shinsekis reign of the Veterans Administration,
deceit, lies and failures surrounded it. United Stated Congressman Jeff Miller writes a pair of
scathing reports on the growing scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed that
wait times and data manipulation are systematic throughout the VA. The independent
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investigator concluded that scams are taking place at VA hospitals across the country. This
has happened under the Obama Administration nose, and under General Shinsekis command.
With the deceitfulness of General Shinseki and his board members coming to the public eye,
whistleblowers are coming clean and relaying messages to the press about what the VA
executives forced them to say and do on patient records. Rich Gardella, a writer and publisher
for NBC News conducted several interviews with VA whistleblowers. Scott Davis who is one of
these whistleblowers told Rich Gardella despite the best efforts of truly committed employees at
HEC (The Health Eligibility Center) and the Veterans Health Administration, who have risked
their careers to stand up for veterans; management at all levels ignored or retaliated against them
for exposing the truth. These executives that run the Veterans Affairs are creating an adverse
environment for not only those that seek help and healthcare from them, but the people they
employ. The frightening realization that the Veterans Affairs is turning into a corporation for
profit than a healthcare provider is something that the American public should recognize and be
wary about.
With the scandal looming over the nation, another cover-up concealed by the Veterans
Administration becomes apparent. McClatchy, a writer for Tribune Business News conducts an
investigation of a Pittsburgh VA health clinic and the outbreak of Legionnaires Disease. He
writes of the attempted cover up stating given the totality of the VAs problems that extend far
beyond Pittsburgh, reasonable people are left to conclude that the Department of Veterans
Affairs is a broken, if not corrupt, enterprise. This, in all aspect, should demand that Obama
and his administration do something to curve the process in which the Veterans Affairs is
heading.
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Incidentally, the public press has become a strong hold for veterans that have been
misdirected and have been taken advantage of. Every day, there is more talk about what is
happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Let it be the downsizing of active troops on ground, or more
deaths in country. The stories the VA hates even more are the ones that reach national news here
in the United States; the stories of veterans committing suicide, or instigating a police shoot-out.
These are what create a black eye on the VA. Their misrepresentation of the grandeur of
healthcare they provide which is obsolete. The lies and slander they create and talk to make
veterans look terrible. The press is stopping all of this from happening. The VA is full of black
spots, because the American public is using transparency to see through the veil that is hiding the
issues surrounding it.
As a final point, not every Veterans Affairs hospital is horrendously corrupt. The Utah
Veterans Hospital is extremely professional and timely. Upon completing my tour, 4 years
stronger, the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs has helped me through extremely rough times.
The environment they create is of happiness and love, which is surprising to see after researching
many other VA hospitals. With each service member of our military that raises their right hand,
to solemnly swear their complete obedience to this country and its people, to defend our Flag and
freedom, and to write an unsigned check payable up to, and including death, is what differs
between a civilian and a warfighter. These warfighters are not invincible; they hurt just like you
do, mentally and physically. As per NBC News, more than 22 veterans commit suicide each
day, that is 22 too many. Reach out and help anyone that is in need, smile at someone because
you never know how their day is. A small thank you can warm a heart. The veterans way is
always to help someone in need, it will never cease and it will never die.

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Works cited
Briggs, Bill. "22 Veterans Commit Suicide Each Day: VA Report." NBC News. N.p., 01 Feb.
2013. Web. 06 Aug. 2014
Devine, Curt. "Bad VA Care May Have Killed More than 1,000 Veterans, Senator's Report
Says." CNN. Cable News Network, 24 June 2014. Web. 06 Aug. 2014.
Gardella, Rich. "VA Whistleblowers Say They Faced Retaliation for Reporting Problems - NBC
News." NBC News. N.p., 08 July 2014. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.
Gehrke, Joel. "Nancy Pelosi Blames George W. Bush for Veterans Affairs Scandal." ProQuest
Newstand. The Examiner, 22 May 2014. Web. 06 Aug. 2014
Hoskinson, Charles. "Obama Acts like He Doesn't Care about Growing Veterans Affairs
Scandal." ProQuest Newstand. The Examiner, 14 May 2014. Web. 06 Aug. 2014.
McClatchy. "The Veterans Affairs Scandal: It Only Grows." ProQuest Newstand. Tribune
Content Agency LLC, 13 May 2014. Web. 06 Aug. 2014.
McVeigh, Karen. "US Military Veterans Face Inadequate Care after Returning from War
Report." Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Aug. 2014.
Miller, Jeff. "Veterans Affairs Needs to Stop Protecting Its Executives." Time. Time, 02 June
2014. Web. 06 Aug. 2014.