|
Washington,
DC
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Citing
the
lack
of
answers
from
the
Obama
Administration’s
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
on
his
request
for
information
about
the
current
status
of
South
Carolina
facilities
serving
veterans,
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
released
the
following
statement:
“Last
Friday
I
fully
expected
to
receive
answers
from
the
Obama
Administration
about
the
status
of
South
Carolina
facilities
serving
veterans,
specifically
about
the
existence
of
backlogs,
official
waiting
lists,
“secret”
waiting
lists
or
unauthorized
scheduling
lists
at
all
13
facilities
currently
operated
by
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs,
including
the
six
located
in
the
Low
Country.
“I
am
extremely
disappointed
that
two
weeks
after
my
original
request
I
have
not
received
answers
from
the
Obama
Administration
on
this
basic
request
for
information
critical
to
helping
our
veterans.
Their
lack
of
response
is
simply
unacceptable.
“As
a
result
of
the
Administration’s
failure
to
respond,
I
now
plan
to
directly
ask
the
South
Carolina’s
VA
medical
centers
and
community
based
outpatient
clinics
the
questions
Washington,
D.C.
has
neglected
to
answer.
I
hope
that
each
facility
will
be
more
forthcoming
and
transparent
about
their
processes,
wait
times
and
the
scheduling
challenges
they
are
facing.
“I’ll
continue
to
press
the
Obama
Administration
and
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
for
answers
because
getting
to
the
bottom
of
the
problems
facing
the
VA
system
is
vital
to
ensuring
our
veterans
and
families
in
the
Low
Country
receive
the
care
they
have
earned.”
On
June
12,
2014,
Senator
Scott wrote
Veterans
Affairs
Acting
Secretary
Sloan
Gibson requesting
answers
to
seven
specific
questions
about
the
existence
of
backlogs,
official
waiting
lists,
“secret”
waiting
lists
or
unauthorized
scheduling
lists
that
exist
at
all
13
Veteran
Health
Administration
facilities
in
South
Carolina,
including
six
in
the
Low
Country
region
–
Beaufort,
Charleston,
Florence,
Goose
Creek,
Myrtle
Beach
and
Orangeburg.
The
answers
were
due
from
the
VA
by
close
of
business
day
on
June
20,
2014.
A
copy
of
Senator
Scott’s
original
letter
to
Acting
Secretary
Gibson
is
available HERE.
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