Rep. Ron Kind Calls on President Obama to Create Blue Ribbon Commission to Investigate Care Delivery at Department of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) led a group of 14 Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Obama today, calling for the creation of a Blue Ribbon Commission to improve care delivery at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and investigate allegations that some VA personnel covered up long wait times for veterans seeking care.

“We’ve heard reports of long wait times, secret lists and manipulation of data, all of which are unacceptable when it comes to caring for our veterans. A Blue Ribbon Commission, consisting of  people with military backgrounds and firsthand experience working with veterans and their families, is needed to gather the facts and ensure that none of these problems happen again,” said Rep. Kind. “With the VA transitioning to new leadership, now more than ever it’s important that there be independent, bipartisan oversight to ensure that problems are corrected and bad actors are held to account.”

Members co-signing the letter include Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan and a broad array of representatives from across the country.

The letter suggests a number of proven leaders for inclusion on the commission. General Colin Powell and former Senators Bob Dole, Jim Webb, and Max Cleland would be ideal choices, as well as the first female four-star General Ann Dunwoody, General Wesley Clark, and former Secretary of the Navy, Senator John Warner.

Rep. Kind is taking additional proactive steps to address potential problems at the VA. He and his staff have been reaching out to VA personnel across the state in an effort to identify any issues that care providers or veterans may be experiencing. This week, he voted for a bill that requires the VA to offer care through civilian doctors if a veteran encounters long wait times or lives more than 40 miles from a VA facility, and he recently voted for a bill making it easier for the department secretary to fire senior officials for poor performance.

A copy of the letter can read here.