Senator Clinton Calls on VA Secretary Nominee to Rectify Delays in Care for Wounded Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

October 30, 2007 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called on Lieutenant General (Retired) James Peake, the President’s nominee for Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary, to review reported delays in care for wounded veterans. According to previous news reports, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, including those needing critical care, are suffering long wait times for medical appointments at VA facilities.

Earlier this month, Senator Clinton asked Acting Secretary of VA Gordon Mansfield to clarify the situation and identify actions being taken to reduce these delays.

The following is the text of today’s letter to Lieutenant General James Peake:

Lieutenant General James Peake, M.D., USA (Ret.)
Chief Medical Director and Chief Operating Officer
QTC Management Inc.
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite G4
Alexandria, VA 22314

Dear Dr. Peake:

I write to congratulate you on your recent nomination to serve as Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). As you know, this is a position that comes with the tremendous responsibility of ensuring that our nation’s veterans receive the benefits and health care that they deserve. I hope that, if confirmed, you will serve as a true advocate for our veterans and champion the many challenges they face.

To that end, I hope that you will review the enclosed letter that I sent to Acting Secretary Gordon Mansfield on October 22 to express my concern regarding recent reports that a significant number of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are enduring long waiting times for medical appointments at VA facilities. In the letter, I asked Acting Secretary Mansfield to clarify whether these reported delays are in fact occurring for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and if so, to identify what actions are being taken to reduce waiting times.

It is time that we do much more to show our veterans – not just tell them – that we are grateful for their service to our country. We owe it to our veterans to:

* Provide guaranteed full funding for VA health care.
* Smooth the transition of service members out of the military and into the VA system.
* Reduce the backlog of veterans’ benefits claims.
* Eliminate the unfair prohibition on concurrent receipt of disability and retirement benefits.
* Ensure that our veterans have access to the care needed to address traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
* Significantly expand GI Bill education, housing and entrepreneurial benefits that are commensurate with the sacrifices that this new generation of veterans have made on our behalf.

Thank you for your consideration of my concerns. I look forward to working with you, if confirmed, in support of all of our nation’s veterans.

Sincerely Yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Source: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

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