A few years ago I was surrounded by the graves of soldiers at the American cemetery in Normandy, France, which allowed me to reflect on the men and women who have fought for our country over the centuries. Standing there among the white crosses, I came to the conclusion that the best legacy we can give to those who gave their lives, as well as all of those who have served, is to ensure that veterans receive the very best services that they have earned from the Department of Veterans Affairs. And sadly, we are not.
We must continue to support veterans — as well as those who are still fighting for our country — by ensuring that after hanging up their uniforms they have access to the best services. They deserve better than to come home to a broken VA and be forced to navigate a bureaucratic maze.
The VA scandal broke in April amid reports that veterans died as a result of delayed care. Records were falsified. Many veterans were placed on phony wait lists or signed up for ghost clinics. Some were living in filth in VA facilities, and some were exposed to disease as a result of unsanitary conditions.
After the dysfunction and toxic leadership were exposed, many steps were taken to improve the VA with the intention of restoring the department to a customer service-oriented organization. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki stepped down and was replaced by Robert McDonald. The $16.3 billion VA reform bill was signed into law in August with high hopes. Key parts of the law had the potential to tackle the VA’s most pressing issues, including accountability and private healthcare options. A broken bureaucracy was given every necessary tool to fix itself.
But to date, little or nothing has been accomplished with the new VA powers granted by the reform law.
Last week the VA failed to meet a Nov. 5 deadline to mail its new Choice Cards to veterans. The VA did not ask Congress for an extension even though the agency knew it could not meet the deadline.
Even more surprising is that only one VA executive has been fired because of the ongoing scandal at the agency. Last month the VA released statements that it was in the process of removing four employees, but in reality one had already retired and one had already been hired by the Department of Energy (which rescinded the job offer after reports of ethical breaches).
Sharon Helman, director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System where the scandal began, still has not been fired more than six months after the scandal broke. In fact, many top VA execs who might be fired are finding a way to retire instead, presumably with full benefits. That is not accountability. The reform law was passed to allow swift accountability by firing employees who contributed to the unethical and dysfunctional management that has plagued the VA.
The best way to honor veterans this Veterans Day is to make sure the VA knows this problem will not be swept under the rug. Americans must continue to pay attention to the lack of accountability and unethical behavior that continues to harm our veterans.
There is still a lot of work to be done, and it will take time, but unfortunately VA leadership continues to make excuses about why there has been no accountability while releasing overblown success stories that stretch the truth. That type of culture has been the status quo at the VA for far too long. We want to see a new type of VA — one that prides itself on honesty and integrity, not the quickest fabricated headline. We need a VA that prioritizes serving veterans — not VA employees.
The problems facing the VA are unpleasant and discouraging, but they cannot be ignored or wished away. Our veterans are worth the hard work it will take to ensure that one day they will have a quality Department of Veterans Affairs. Not only do they deserve top-notch care and the best possible service from the department that was created to serve them, they earned it.
Amber Smith is a military adviser at Concerned Veterans for America. She is a former Army helicopter pilot who served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. For more information visit OfficialAmberSmith.com. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions for editorials, available at this link.
