Good morning, everybody.
A few minutes Secretary Shinseki and Rob Nabors, who I’ve temporarily assigned to work with the V.A., presented me with the department’s initial review of the V.A. facilities nationwide.
And what they found is that the misconduct has not been limited to a few V.A. facilities, but many across the country. This is totally unacceptable. All veterans deserve the best. They have earned it.
Last week I said that if we found misconduct, it would be punished, and I meant it.
Secretary Shinseki has now begun the process of firing many of the people responsible, including senior leaders at the Phoenix V.A.
He’s canceled any possible performance bonuses this year for VHA senior executives.
And he has ordered the V.A. to personally contact every veteran in Phoenix waiting for appointments to get them the care that they need and that they deserve.
And this morning, I think some of you also heard Ric take a truly remarkable action. In public remarks, he took responsibility for the conduct of those facilities, and apologized to his fellow veterans and to the American people.
And a few minutes ago, Secretary Shinseki offered me his own resignation. And with considerable regret, I accepted.
Ric Shinseki has served his country with honor for nearly 50 years. He did two tours of combat in Vietnam. He’s a veteran who left a part of himself on the battlefield. He rose to command the 1st Cavalry Division, served as Army chief of staff, and has never been afraid to speak truth to power.
As secretary of the V.A., he presided over record investments in our veterans, enrolling 2 million new veterans in health care and delivering disability pay to more Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, making it easier for veterans with post-traumatic stress, mental health issues and traumatic brain injury to get treatment, improving care for our women veterans.
At the same time, he helped reduce veteran homelessness and helped more than 1 million veterans, servicemembers and their families pursue their education under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
So Ric’s commitment to our veterans is unquestioned. His service to our country is exemplary. I am grateful for his service, as are many veterans across the country. He has worked hard to investigate and identify the problems with access to care.
But as he told me this morning, the V.A. needs new leadership to address them. He does not
want to be a distraction because his priority is to fix the problem and make sure our vets are getting the care that they need. That was Ric’s judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans.
And I agree. We don’t have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem.
For now, the leader that will help move us forward is Sloan Gibson, who will take on the reins as acting secretary.
Sloan became deputy secretary at the V.A. just three months ago, but he, too, has devoted his life to serving our country and our veterans. His grandfather fought on the front lines of World War I. His father was a tailgunner in World War II.
Sloan graduated from West Point. Earned his airborne and ranger qualifications and served in the infantry. And, most recently, he was president and CEO of the USO, which does a remarkable job supporting our men and women at war, their families, our wounded warriors, and families of the fallen.
So, all told, Sloan has 20 years of private sector and non-profit experience that he brings to bear on our ongoing work to build a 21st century V.A. And I’m grateful that he is willing to take on this task.
I met with Sloan after I met with Ric this morning, and made it clear that reforms should not wait. They need to proceed immediately.
I’ve also asked Rob Nabors to stay at the V.A. temporarily to help Sloan and the department through this transition and to complete his own review of the VHA.
In the meantime, we’re going to look diligently for a new permanent V.A. secretary, and we hope to confirm that successor and fill that post as soon as possible.
And we’re going to do right by our veterans across the board, as long as it takes. We’re not going to stop working to make sure that they get the care, the benefit and the opportunities that they’ve earned and they deserve.
I said we wouldn’t tolerate misconduct, and we will not. I said that we have to do better, and we will. There are too many veterans receiving care right now who deserve all of our best efforts, and an honest assessment if something is not working.
And this week, I visited some of our men and women in uniform at different stages of their service. Our newest Army officers who graduated from West Point. Our troops currently serving in Afghanistan. Our veterans and our military families at Arlington.
And what I saw is what I’ve seen in every single servicemember, veteran and military spouse that I have had the privilege to meet: a selfless, clear-eyed commitment to serving their country the best way that they know how. They’re the best that our country has to offer. They do their duty. They expect us to do ours.
So today, I want every man and woman who served under our flag to know whether your tour has been over for decades or is just about to end, we will never stop working to do right by you and your families.
