On the recordMay 21, 2014
In having stepped forward to defend our country with their very lives, our veterans deserve a health care system and a claims process that are both of high quality and that are accountable. Unfortunately, the VA has failed veterans in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and across the Nation. William Nicklas, a World War II veteran from western Pennsylvania, survived Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa, but fell victim to Legionnaires' disease at the Pittsburgh VA. It has been 1\1/2\ years since Mr. Nicklas died, and the Nicklas family is still waiting for answers and accountability, so are the families of John Ciarolla, Clark Compston, John McChesney, Lloyd Wanstreet, and Frank ``Sonny'' Calcagno. Unfortunately, the world now knows that these are not isolated incidents. Significant changes in accountability must be made at the VA to solve these problems. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act. This bill is an important step in that direction. Thank you to Chairman Miller for conducting the oversight necessary to bring these issues into the light.
