Walz Statement on Office of Special Counsel Findings

Statement

Representative Tim Walz released the following statement after the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency, released findings in a report entitled Continued Deficiencies at Department of Veterans Affairs' Facilities, detailing the continued failures of the VA's Office of Medical Inspector:

"The letter from the Office of Special Counsel is incredibly troubling and raises serious questions about the legitimacy and viability of the Office of Medical Inspector (OMI). OMI--supposedly an office responsible for investigating accusations and serving an internal watchdog role at the VA--must explain fully why they continued to ignore whistleblower's concerns, downplay problems, and mislead Congress and the American people.

"This report speaks to the arrogance and culture of corruption that seems rampant with some at VHA central office. Time and time again it seems they are ignoring their own findings, requests for information from the VA Committee, and, most tragically, what they are hearing from veterans. VA officials continue to paint the picture that everything is going well and it's all roses and sunshine, which is simply out of touch with reality. It's long past time for officials at VHA to come to terms with the gravity of the situation, acknowledge problems, and start cooperating with Congress to fix them. No one, especially veterans and their families, should be put at risk because unelected bureaucrats in Washington are more concerned about protecting their own skin then caring for veterans."

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