Shelley Berkley: “I was appalled to learn that a VA Undersecretary stated that the highest priority of the VA was to display a picture of…”

“I was appalled to learn that a VA Undersecretary stated that the highest priority of the VA was to display a picture of the VA Secretary in every VA facility. I was appalled, because that very day I also learned that the VA Secretary admitted that there was a $1 billion shortfall in the veterans health care budget and that the administration knew this in April but presented their budget to Congress anyway, knowing that it was shamefully inaccurate and inadequate to meet the health care needs of our veterans. They lied to Congress. As a member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I saw firsthand the administration mock the veterans service organizations when they testified that the VA needed an additional $1.2 billion to provide health care to our veterans. They defended their numbers, knowing that they were $1 billion short. One VA official said, upon learning that the highest priority was putting the VA Secretary's photo in every VA facility, ``And here we are trying to figure out where our next patient meal is coming from and what furniture to sell to buy drugs next year.'' Talk about misguided priorities. ____________________”