Page 37 - Va System News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

How does he conduct this investigation if he doesn't have the full confidence of the president? >> well, the president looks forward to the preliminary review that he asked the secretary to provide to him. >> reporter: a growing list of senate democrats, many up for re-election, are calling for shinseki to go. the last straw for those senators? an inspector general's report pointing to systemic issues in the va system, noting, in phoenix, 1,700 veterans were never put on a waiting list and were likely lost or forgotten. as for the white house, an official cautions, the president's loyalty only...

It's a lot for whoever to step into the role to contend with. sloan gibson got a lot of praise from president obama today. what do we know about him? >> he's only been in the job about three months. he was just put in there and came from the uso. that's about -- obviously has a military background. i can tell you that's a lot of times these va folks come -- come from if they are not directly from the military, then they go from the military to one of these va groups, maybe it's vfw or american legion, military support groups. a common way for managers to get picked and political appointments i...

Suggested private sizing the department of veterans affairs. what do you make of that? >> some people in the va i talked to said there was some talk about that at the end of the '90s, approaching the year 2000. when the number of veterans using the va system was actually declining, and they said there was an uproar not only within the va about the idea of maybe privatizing the va, but not only in the va, but many members of congress who covet their va systems in their states. and if you -- some of these veterans groups too, they would not sit still for eliminating or privatizing the va. so if ...

Veterans waiting. then we have falsified records or lies about them waiting. third the question of whether the va system is accountable at all. you going public, basically, blowing the whistle is what seems to have moved this a lot more than, what should have been done internally to begin with. i want to give you a chance to respond to this. last night's house committee hearing. you were specifically mentioned by congressman, mike kaufman in discussion with a va official how they deal with this stuff. take a listen. >> did you ask for a meeting with dr. foote. >> i did not. >> oh, why didn't y...

Killing themselves each day? that is more veterans than children killed at sandy hook every single day. where are the huge policy initiatives. why isn't the president standing with those families at the state of the union? perhaps because we were not killed by a single lunatic but rather by our system of dehumanization, neglect and indifference. >> we will be right back. it's the little things in life that make me smile. spending the day with my niece. i don't use super poligrip for hold because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it...