Rick Scott Joins GOP Governors Wanting Obama to Reform VA

Gov. Rick Scott joined five other Republican governors -- Sam Brownback of Kansas, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Paul LePage of Maine, Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania and Rick Perry of Texas -- in sending a letter on Wednesday to President Barack Obama, urging him to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA department has been under fire in recent weeks after reports emerged across the nation of altered waiting lists at VA medical facilities. Eric Shinseki resigned his post as VA secretary last week after a critical inspector generals report on VA medical facilities.

Scott and the other governors wrote the following:

As governors who have millions of veterans living in our states, we are deeply troubled and outraged by the significant negligence and systemic delays in patient care throughout the Veterans Affairs health system. While we believe that your decision to accept the resignation of Secretary Eric Shinseki was appropriate, this change is only the beginning of many needed reforms to protect and care for our nations veterans.

The dedication, service and sacrifice these individuals make on a daily basis ensures the safety and freedoms we, as Americans, enjoy and cherish. We owe these servicemen and women our sincere gratitude and appreciation, and we must demand more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to honor the sacrifices of our American veterans.

States have taken the obligation to care for these men and women very seriously.

Reports from states around the country of wait times in a system manipulated by VA leaders to hide the growing problems are not only inexcusable, they demand your immediate and full attention. Serious reform on behalf of our veterans will require much more than a change in management.

Mr. President, you have the ability and power to right this wrong and put the health and welfare of our countrys veterans first. We stand ready and willing to assist in this most important effort to help our veterans get the quality and timely medical care they deserve.