Marco Rubio Calls for Eric Shinseki's Resignation at VA

On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign after a critical inspector generals report focusing on altered wait lists at VA medical centers across the nation. Rubio called for the Senate to pass his bill which would make it easier for the VA secretary to fire or demote problem employees. The House passed a version of the bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., earlier in the month.

The inspector generals report not only confirmed our worst fears about rampant mismanagement and institutional neglect at the VA, it also revealed the problem is even worse than we thought, Rubio said. In light of the report, it is clear now that Sec. Shinseki should tender his resignation to the president, and President Obama should accept it. But Sec. Shinseki should not shoulder the blame alone. Current law prohibits Sec. Shinseki and whoever might succeed him from firing the very people that the inspector general found responsible for the daily mismanagement, inappropriate hiring decisions, sexual harassment, and bullying behavior that contributed to the shameful conditions throughout the VA system.

Fifty senators, including five Democrats, have now signaled their support for common-sense legislation that the Senate could pass and send to the president as early as next week, Rubio added. This is the same legislation that passed the House 390-33, with 162 Democrats voting in favor. This legislation would bring basic accountability to the VA and ensure the people responsible for the gross negligence and mistreatment of our nations heroes are punished. I hope more Senate Democrats will join Republicans in sponsoring this measure and insist that Democratic leadership drop their obstruction to this common-sense legislation.