VFW: Shinseki “patriot,” but resignation a good step

Reaction to Eric Shinseki’s resignation is coming in. We’ll post it here:

Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo.: “Although I believe the Secretary’s resignation is an appropriate first step, more changes and reforms need to be made to ensure this never happens again. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the President to properly manage the executive agencies, and this is not the first scandal we have seen under his watch.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.: “This was the right decision—General Shinseki served our country honorably for decades, but we can’t afford to be distracted from the urgent work fixing these systemic issues. I expect the VA’s new leadership to implement all recommendations from the Inspector General, to fire anyone else found to have cooked the books on wait-times, and to continue recovering the bonuses and raises paid to those fraudsters with taxpayer dollars.”

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.: “I’ve long said these serious and systemic problems at the VA were never about one individual – and it will not be fixed until the president steps forward to take action and fix this failure on behalf of Americas' heroes. President Obama must show leadership and give our veterans the care they deserve.”

Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan.: “The story does not end today. This scandal does not end with someone resigning. The mismanagement at the VA goes beyond phony waiting lists, it is a widespread epidemic. Veterans are waiting for results, not scapegoats from their Commander-in-Chief.”

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.: “The step taken today is just the beginning … We now need accountability and true reform within the VA all across the country. For this to occur, we need a fresh perspective and a leader who is willing to shake up the VA’s bureaucratic culture.”

William Thien, VFW: “Secretary Shinseki is an American patriot, an honorable man whose personal integrity and commitment to duty and to others is above reproach … We support his decision to resign, because the outside calls for his resignation were overshadowing the crisis in healthcare issues veterans face, and that is what’s most important.”

This story was originally published June 3, 2014 at 2:40 PM with the headline "VFW: Shinseki “patriot,” but resignation a good step."