DENVER — Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald has come under fire for appalling remarks he made at a breakfast gathering on Monday.
In response to ongoing questions regarding the lengthy wait times veterans face to receive health care, Secretary McDonald offered this shocker:
“When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what’s important? What’s important is, what’s your satisfaction with the experience? And what I would like to move to, eventually, is that kind of measure.”
The comments immediately drew condemnation from lawmakers and veterans advocates across America. Congressman Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican and leading voice in the battle for improved veterans care, snapped back at Secretary McDonald’s callous remarks:
“The Secretary’s remarks are outrageous,” said Coffman. “Clearly there is a difference between waiting for a roller coaster ride and waiting for life-saving treatment. Our veterans who have served this nation have earned the right to receive quality care in a timely manner. And, by the way, Disney does measure wait times. You can download their app and see for yourself.”
Kelly Maher, Executive Director of Compass Colorado, shared in Coffman’s outrage:
“The Department of Veterans Affairs under President Obama has become a wasteland of ineptitude. Every single day, veterans who bravely and selflessly served our nation die because of the incompetence and corruption at one of America’s most critical institutions.
“For Secretary McDonald to liken his department’s inability to provide veterans health care to that of a wait time for Space Mountain is unconscionable. Without the continued efforts of Rep. Coffman and other lawmakers who push back on this malfeasance, the situation would surely be even worse than it is today.
“I would call on Secretary McDonald to resign, but I imagine that President Obama’s replacement would be equally useless. January 2017 cannot come soon enough for the veterans of this great nation.”
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In response to ongoing questions regarding the lengthy wait times veterans face to receive health care, Secretary McDonald offered this shocker:
“When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what’s important? What’s important is, what’s your satisfaction with the experience? And what I would like to move to, eventually, is that kind of measure.”
The comments immediately drew condemnation from lawmakers and veterans advocates across America. Congressman Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican and leading voice in the battle for improved veterans care, snapped back at Secretary McDonald’s callous remarks:
“The Secretary’s remarks are outrageous,” said Coffman. “Clearly there is a difference between waiting for a roller coaster ride and waiting for life-saving treatment. Our veterans who have served this nation have earned the right to receive quality care in a timely manner. And, by the way, Disney does measure wait times. You can download their app and see for yourself.”
Kelly Maher, Executive Director of Compass Colorado, shared in Coffman’s outrage:
“The Department of Veterans Affairs under President Obama has become a wasteland of ineptitude. Every single day, veterans who bravely and selflessly served our nation die because of the incompetence and corruption at one of America’s most critical institutions.
“For Secretary McDonald to liken his department’s inability to provide veterans health care to that of a wait time for Space Mountain is unconscionable. Without the continued efforts of Rep. Coffman and other lawmakers who push back on this malfeasance, the situation would surely be even worse than it is today.
“I would call on Secretary McDonald to resign, but I imagine that President Obama’s replacement would be equally useless. January 2017 cannot come soon enough for the veterans of this great nation.”
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