Sen. John McCain on Tuesday predicted more global conflict in the years ahead that will require America to send U.S. troops overseas
“My dear friends, the world is in turmoil, and I believe that we will be sending our young men and women into harm’s way in a lot of places in the world, for years to come,” the Arizona Republican told a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing late Tuesday.
McCain said that will require Congress to finally fix the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has been plagued by an elevated level of scandal over the last few years.
“And they will be veterans, and they’ll come home someday,” he said of the U.S. troops that would have to be used. “And I believe that the work that you are doing is the Lord’s work, and because you are committed as all Americans are, to giving the veterans the care that they need and deserve, and they earned, by defending this nation.”
Massive problems in getting healthcare to U.S. veterans were exposed in 2014. That included a wait time scandal in which VA officials systematically understated how long veterans were waiting for care.
While the VA has said that scandal is behind it, observers have said wait-time problems exist, and McCain noted a recent story about a veteran in Arizona who didn’t get care in time and was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“Everyone in this room has heard a similar story,” he said. “It’s not acceptable, it needs to be stopped, and I want to thank every member of this committee for their dedication to our veterans.”
