VA Secretary Asks Iraq War Veteran: 'What Have You Done?'

[rudeguy]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Wednesday asked a Republican lawmaker who served in both Iraq wars, "What have you done?" as the two men sparred over huge cost overruns at a troubled Denver VA hospital.

McDonald was defending the VA's budget at a hearing when he and Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman tussled over construction delays and cost increases at the long-delayed hospital project.

After a few minutes of arguing, McDonald snapped at Coffman: "I've run a large company, sir. What have you done?"

Coffman, an Army veteran, did not respond at the hearing. But the four-term lawmaker said in a statement later that he could tell McDonald a few things he hasn't done.

"I have never run a federal agency that tolerates corruption the way the VA has. I've never built a hospital that's years behind schedule and hundreds of millions over budget. And I've never been a shill for inept bureaucrats who allowed American heroes to die on a medical waiting list," he said.

The last comment was a reference to a wait-time scandal that cost former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki his job. McDonald, a former Procter & Gamble CEO, took over as VA secretary in July. He has vowed to improve VA's delivery of services such as health care and disability benefits and make it a "model" for other government agencies.

The dust-up started when Coffman criticized the VA for citing its legal efforts to defend the Denver hospital project as a major accomplishment.

"How is that a success?" Coffman asked. "You lost that case on every single point for the hospital in my district that is hundreds of millions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule."

"I think that that's just characteristic of your glossing over the extraordinary problems confronted by your department," Coffman added. "This is a department mired in bureaucratic incompetence and corruption."

McDonald said he was offended by Coffman's remarks and noted that he had only been on the job for six months.

"You've been here longer than I have. If there's a problem in Denver, I think you own it more than I do," he told Coffman.

McDonald then offered to give Coffman his cellphone, "and you can answer some of the calls and see if I'm making a difference for veterans

."

Silly peasant speaking to a lord...

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

McDonald has a point

McDonald said he was offended by Coffman's remarks and noted that he had only been on the job for six months.

"You've been here longer than I have. If there's a problem in Denver, I think you own it more than I do," he told Coffman.

McDonald then offered to give Coffman his cellphone, "and you can answer some of the calls and see if I'm making a difference for veterans

 

[rudeguy]

crap...my link disappeared.

 

[Brainonska511]

I don't understand the VA system. Why do we put up with such ineptitude? Why is it so difficult to fix? And why don't we offer a more insurance-type system - tell veterans they can go anywhere instead of just a VA hospital. My co-worker, who served in Iraq, tells me that if you live in some places, it's quite a hassle to have to get to a VA - and that's only the travel issue. That doesn't even cover the other, mental hurdle that someone might be facing, which compounds with long travel times and shitty waiting lists.

Instead, we get 8 continuing investigations into Benghazi and a host of other "scandals".

 

[Fern]

McDonald has a point

He has no point at all.

The VA is under, guess who, Obama. Congress can't step in and run or appoint people to do so.

I saw the testimony on TV. McDonald is another arrogant unprofessional jackass, the type this admin seem to like appointing.

The VA is still a mess. And 6 months on the job is plenty of time to get something accomplished, if he were actually working or the agency had any semblance of functioning. 6 months on the job and hordes of employees working for you and you haven't made a dent? That speaks to the inefficiency and complacency of the place.

McDonald seems to have done a good job at P&G, but pushing soap powder is about as far from providing health care services as one can get. I also can't seem to find anything about overhauling P&G. Sounds like P&G was a well running machine and he didn't screw it up. The VA is completely different. Somebody with experience fixing a disfunctional business might have been a better choice. Turn around artists are called that for a reason. It's a special talent/ability.

Fern

 

[Nograts]

I don't understand the VA system. Why do we put up with such ineptitude? Why is it so difficult to fix? And why don't we offer a more insurance-type system - tell veterans they can go anywhere instead of just a VA hospital. My co-worker, who served in Iraq, tells me that if you live in some places, it's quite a hassle to have to get to a VA - and that's only the travel issue. That doesn't even cover the other, mental hurdle that someone might be facing, which compounds with long travel times and shitty waiting lists.

Instead, we get 8 continuing investigations into Benghazi and a host of other "scandals".

I went in for dental work on the 6th of January, my dentist (who I don't actually know it's different every time) was out sick. I'll be going back on April 3rd (the next available appointment for her).

Oh and this isn't the VA. This is actual Army post health care.

Also @ that political fuckhead, I went to defend American lives because I felt it was the right thing to do. In return I got about 40,000$ and didn't meet my daughter who was born with gastroschisis until she was 5 months old. Got to go back when she was 16 months too.

 

[fskimospy]

He has no point at all.

The VA is under, guess who, Obama. Congress can't step in and run or appoint people to do so.

I saw the testimony on TV. McDonald is another arrogant unprofessional jackass, the type this admin seem to like appointing.

The VA is still a mess. And 6 months on the job is plenty of time to get something accomplished, if he were actually working or the agency had any semblance of functioning. 6 months on the job and hordes of employees working for you and you haven't made a dent? That speaks to the inefficiency and complacency of the place.

McDonald seems to have done a good job at P&G, but pushing soap powder is about as far from providing health care services as one can get. I also can't seem to find anything about overhauling P&G. Sounds like P&G was a well running machine and he didn't screw it up. The VA is completely different. Somebody with experience fixing a disfunctional business might have been a better choice. Turn around artists are called that for a reason. It's a special talent/ability.

Fern

Interesting how you think a congressman who has been on the job for six years bears no responsibility for the agency he supposedly helps oversee but a guy who has been on the job for six months better have gotten it all fixed.

If you think he bears no responsibility then it seems like you're arguing that congress has no point, so he shouldn't be there anyway.

How about you admit the VA secretary has a very good point, and accept that both individuals share a responsibility for making the VA work instead of just raging against the Evil OBAMA.

 

[fskimospy]

I went in for dental work on the 6th of January, my dentist (who I don't actually know it's different every time) was out sick. I'll be going back on April 3rd (the next available appointment for her).

Oh and this isn't the VA. This is actual Army post health care.

Also @ that political fuckhead, I went to defend American lives because I felt it was the right thing to do. In return I got about 40,000$ and didn't meet my daughter who was born with gastroschisis until she was 5 months old. Got to go back when she was 16 months too.

You got a lot more than $40k. $100k+ in education benefits, preferential house financing, preferential tax treatment, preferential government employment, VA health care, etc, all for life.

We treat our veterans very well.

 

[rudeguy]

You got a lot more than $40k. $100k+ in education benefits, preferential house financing, preferential tax treatment, preferential government employment, VA health care, etc, all for life.

We treat our veterans very well.

Yes we do. But just like anything, we could do it better.

 

[Sunburn74]

Yes we do. But just like anything, we could do it better.

I dunno. Its pretty darn good actually in my experience as long as you live near a major city. The scandal revolved around a few bad apple VAs with a subsequent massive overreaction by politicians. VAs in most large cities rival the academic research hospitals/clinics in those cities because they share the same staff.

It is very difficult to get good VA care if you live out in the boonies but that can be said for just about any care. BTW the wait times that occurred during the VA scandal would be acceptable wait times for private hospitals in most cities. The lying and falsification of data was bad but despite that the true average wait with those bad apple VAs was still like 45 days or something for a visit with some extending out to like 115 days (plus the circumstances were not all that clear in those wait times whether there were patient factors such as not taken open dates out of convenience or canceling and rescheduling visits and etc). Here in Boston in a non va hospital dermatology groups are booking 6 months out in advance for clinic visits, rheumatology groups 3-4 months out and etc. The VA was massacred politically for not being able to keep consistently less than 30 days wait but this is something most hospitals can't meet as through routine automated processes (you can always make special calls to get people seen earlier if the need is there)

 

[rudeguy]

Here is my asterisk:

The VA killed my grandfather. They dropped him while moving him and he died from a blood clot not long after. The nurse who did it was not punished. It was swept aside like a harmless mistake.

Gut the VA.

 

[waggy]

the VA is a shithole. I would take my step dad in for checkups. the amount of wast and how slow they are at anything is just flat out dangerous.

how anyone can continue to defend it is beyond me.

 

[Moonbeam]

crap...my link disappeared.

Check your browser history.

 

[OutHouse]

I drive by that new VA hospital complex often and its fucking HUGE! it looks like several cruise ships parked Bow first towards I-225.

 

[Bock]

You got a lot more than $40k. $100k+ in education benefits, preferential house financing, preferential tax treatment, preferential government employment, VA health care, etc, all for life.

We treat our veterans very well.

If you get out of the service alive & more importantly "well". Those whom stood up to defend my freedom should be treated much better than the scum that plots my demise.

 

[fskimospy]

If you get out of the service alive & more importantly "well". Those whom stood up to defend my freedom should be treated much better than the scum that plots my demise.

The vast vast vast majority of those who enter the military get out alive. A nontrivial amount of them get out in ways that would not be considered "well", but you are entitled to free health care for life for that condition in addition to the previous benefits mentioned and some more on top.

Unless you're aware of some government Al Qaeda education scholarship it would seem your last sentence doesn't make much sense.

 

[K1052]

It is probably unrealistic to expect someone who has been in the job for six months to have fixed an agency that has been functioning poorly for decades.

I don't think Congress would compare favorably lately if they were dragged in front of panels and asked why they haven't really gotten anything done in YEARS.

 

[yllus]

Nobody with a mandate as massive as McDonald's is going to have anything to show as fixed in just six months. He may at that point almost be ready to understand the full breadth of problems.

 

[thraashman]

Nobody with a mandate as massive as McDonald's is going to have anything to show as fixed in just six months. He may at that point almost be ready to understand the full breadth of problems.

You gotta remember, the people bitching about him not having fixed the VA yet are the same people who think Obama is to blame for the economic problems starting from January 2009. Ignoring that the economy was in a freefall when he took over and that within a year went from collapse to growth. I realized a long time ago that to be a conservative is to care ONLY about the ME and the NOW. If something might give be discomfort now but massive improvement later, if I'm a Republican I HATE it because it make me unhappy now. They can't see past the end of their own nose.

 

[Jhhnn]

Nobody with a mandate as massive as McDonald's is going to have anything to show as fixed in just six months. He may at that point almost be ready to understand the full breadth of problems.

Quite true.

OTOH, Repubs get a lot of mileage with their base by adopting a posture of blaming rather than fixing.

 

[inachu]

THey should explode -( I should use demolish or virtual larry will come after me.) the one across from NIH and rebuild on top.

 

[Fern]

Nobody with a mandate as massive as McDonald's is going to have anything to show as fixed in just six months. He may at that point almost be ready to understand the full breadth of problems.

No.

That's far too easy.

McDonald could not have reorganized the place in 6 months, but to claim he couldn't have assembled a team to 'put out the fires' is absurd.

If anybody thinks he can't have the larger more immediate problems, like construction of a large hospital, addressed until after he's done with the reorganization I don't what to tell you other than I hope for the benefit of customers and shareholders you aren't running a large organization.

In any case, the way I understand the account McDonald was 'selling' (his prior job and career experience) the hospital and got called on it. I.e., he wasn't giving an honest assessment.

Fern

 

[Fern]

Interesting how you think a congressman who has been on the job for six years bears no responsibility for the agency he supposedly helps oversee but a guy who has been on the job for six months better have gotten it all fixed.

If you think he bears no responsibility then it seems like you're arguing that congress has no point, so he shouldn't be there anyway.

How about you admit the VA secretary has a very good point, and accept that both individuals share a responsibility for making the VA work instead of just raging against the Evil OBAMA.

The VA is under the Exec branch, not Congress. Congress can't manage it. All they can is oversight and budget. Oversight basically complaining or allocating the resources needed. If Congress is digging into the details, they've done their oversight job.

He'd bear responsibility if he didn't find and note the problem. Congress can't fix it, that's the Exec branch's responsibility.

The VA secretary doesn't have a good point. He should have been working on the larger immediate problems, such as the out-of-control hospital construction, before 6 months out. And his behavior/response was entirely unprofessional.

Fern

 

[yllus]

No.

That's far too easy.

McDonald could not have reorganized the place in 6 months, but to claim he couldn't have assembled a team to 'put out the fires' is absurd.

If anybody thinks he can't have the larger more immediate problems, like construction of a large hospital, addressed until after he's done with the reorganization I don't what to tell you other than I hope for the benefit of customers and shareholders you aren't running a large organization.

In any case, the way I understand the account McDonald was 'selling' (his prior job and career experience) the hospital and got called on it. I.e., he wasn't giving an honest assessment.

Fern

He's the Secretary of the VA, not Secretary of Making Sure This One Hospital's Cost Overruns Magically Get Fixed. His mandate appears to be oversight of a $168 billion budget for 2016. Getting up to speed on that in the last half-year is a tiny bit more important than if the problems at this already troubled but apparently mostly completed hospital can be wished away.

Even if he did decide to micromanager a single hospital's construction woes, what exactly do you suggest happen? Use pure force of will to get building costs to go down? Kick the construction company off the site, put on a hard hat and go lay some girders himself? All he could do possibly at this point make some personnel changes at the top of the executive group and minimize any further pain, and that assumes there's some diamond in the rough waiting in the wings who can jump in and take over running this thing. What's that going to result in, a 1% cost savings or speed up after the chaos of regime change takes its toll?

"Controversies" like this are made-for-TV drama that the reality-ignorant citizenry lap up because you're just aching for something to be indignant about. Anyone who's actually been in the leadership group for large projects would know that this guy's fate was sealed on this project long before he ever came on board.

 

[K1052]

The VA is under the Exec branch, not Congress. Congress can't manage it. All they can is oversight and budget. Oversight basically complaining or allocating the resources needed. If Congress is digging into the details, they've done their oversight job.

He'd bear responsibility if he didn't find and note the problem. Congress can't fix it, that's the Exec branch's responsibility.

The VA secretary doesn't have a good point. He should have been working on the larger immediate problems, such as the out-of-control hospital construction, before 6 months out. And his behavior/response was entirely unprofessional.

Fern

So if I put you in charge of say the IRS would you like to be dragged in front of a public committee six months later in order to berate you for being an incompetent fuckup because you haven't fixed everything yet?

While his responses weren't diplomatic at all and too harsh I think the Congressman appropriately got bit for stepping over the line. He was probably shocked that someone would actually hit back.