WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, questioned the Acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson during a hearing entitled, “Restoring Trust: The View of the Acting Secretary and the Veterans Community.”

Following the hearing, Congressman Huelskamp released the following statement:

“The VA has lost the trust of many Americans and neglected many Veterans. During today’s testimony, Secretary Gibson assured me—to the best of his knowledge—that we’ve seen the end of secret waiting lists, criminal data falsification, and the tragic, preventable deaths of dozens of Veterans.  But I believe only time will tell, as dozens of criminal investigations and audits are underway and perhaps hundreds more to follow.  The Secretary could not answer the fundamental question of how can we restore our nation’s trust in the VA—and how soon.  There is a long road ahead and yet, Kansas Veterans still don’t have the answers they deserve.

“Just like the tragic VA scandals that shook the nation in 1970, throwing money at the VA won’t solve their problem.  Instead, a fundamental change in culture and real leadership from the President on down is the only way to provide the quality, timely care our Veterans deserve.  Rest assured, as an active member of the VA committee, I will continue to fight and protect our veterans, investigate whistleblower claims, and protect those who have come forward to shed light on the inadequate performance we’ve seen at the VA.”