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White house could have also heard about these concerns when they decided they were going to put him forward for this nomination. does it seem like maybe the white house didn't do basic -- didn't do the same amount of vetting that senators have been able to do? >> right. i think that's pretty clear. now, you could certainly argue, and you know, we were told that his fbi background check did not turn up any of these kinds of concerns, but management issues are, you know, things that don't often show up in a background check, which is really more sort of hewing to criminal issues and other issues...

Describes the problems in a income times op ed. unfortunately the department has become entangled in a brutal power struggle, with some political appointees. these individuals who seek to privatize veteran health karas an alternative to government-run v.a. care, unfortunately failed to engage in relationic plans regarding who will care for the more than 9 million veterans who rely on the department for life-sustaining care. he is sounding the alarm on the way out. >> and trying to say this is largely about a policy debate. to some extent it may be. also will somebody who wasn't about white hou...

Little bit of privatization and keep the v.a. if people want them? >> you can have that choice. it's very difficult to reform the v.a. they have a complex rules, work rules that almost rival the federal income tax code which makes it very hard for an outsider to come in and shake things up. so the only way you're going to get a real shakeup and get real flexibility in how these institutions are run is with genuine competition. they don't perform, they ain't going to get the money, period. >> sound like we're coming back to what john was saying. thank you very much, gang. coming up, our infor...

Privatizing the v.a. to help our vets? the incoming trump administration considering allowing veterans to bypass the government run v.a. health system if they want to, getting care directly from private doctors or hospitals. john, you say this is the best way to help our veterans. let me just be specific about how much we're paying for it. it's the largest civilian agency in our government. about 370,000 employees, a budget of nearly $164 billion a year. that's big. >> yeah, why not privatize the v.a. any time you have the profit motive working over anything you get a better outcome. but i wou...

Of either getting fully covered care and so-so mediocre government hospital or getting a voucher that would cover costs of getting care. >> a voucher like some people suggested for education. steve, we have 144 hospitals in the u.s., veteran v.a. hospitals. 1,200 outpatient facilities, 300 vet centers. what would happen to all of these if we went private? >> well, they would have to shape up. we would right now report came out about how veterans are being badly treated in terms of opi e opiates and drug addictions like the like. they survive if they provide a service, but having a card, whatev...