A few hours after President Barack Obama announced that he had accepted the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) argued that the only way to fix the problems that resulted in Shineski’s departure is through allowing veterans to opt out of the VA medical system.
The only hope of changing the VA for the better is to allow veterans to have a choice of health care outside the VA system.
— Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) May 30, 2014
Every veteran should have a card they can take to local hospitals and doctors if the #VA is failing to meet their needs.
— Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) May 30, 2014
Shinseki’s departure came as a result of news that veterans were being forced to wait months to see a doctor at a VA hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
TPM reached out to Graham’s office for more explanation. In response Graham’s office sent a video of the senator saying “the money should follow the veteran.”
“If the veteran wants to go to a VA facility —and there are plenty of fine ones around— let the veteran go there,” Graham said. “But if they don’t get good service, give them a card so they can go to a hospital or doctor in the community of their choice. Create competition for the VA. The VA will get better or it will shut down under my proposal.”
This post was updated.
