Richard Burr slammed for hypocrisy on veterans issues
Senator Richard Burr was excoriated by veterans groups for politicizing the VA scandal. Richard Burr wrote an open letter in which he said
It became clear at the hearing that most of the other VSOs attending appear to be more interested in defending the status quo within VA, protecting their relationships within the agency, and securing their access to the Secretary and his inner circle. But to what end? What use is their access to senior VA staff, up to and including the Secretary, if they do not use their unprecedented access to a Cabinet Secretary to secure timely access to care for their membership? What hope is there for change within the VA if those closest to the agency don’t use that proximity for the good of veterans across our country?
The Vietnam Veterans of America responded quickly and forcefully.
On behalf of the membership of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), we write to express our astonishment at your insulting remarks about the testimony and staff of VSOs in your May 23 “Open Letter to America’s Veterans.” Clearly you were neither present, nor listening when you were present, to our testimony and that of our colleagues, none of whom defended “the status quo within the VA,” or spoke to “protecting our relationships within the agency and securing access to the Secretary and his inner circle.”
And similarly, for you to state that VSO executive staff “ignored the constant VA problems
expressed by their members and is more interested in their own livelihoods and Washington
connections…,” is blatantly false and, in reality, is perhaps more reflective of your lack of
knowledge of the character, integrity, and honor of these fine people who serve their membership. The VVA staff is known for their candor and bluntness when discussing problems with health care and other vitally needed veteran services, either with VA officials or with Members or Senators in the Congress
Richard Burr decided to dig in. He says he is offering no apologies.
Sen. Richard Burr said on Wednesday that he isn’t backing down from his recent attack on veterans’ groups and even stepped up his assault, charging the organizations are more upset by his comments than they are by the scandal at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Richard Burr should be ashamed. For someone who has not served, he should be much more humble.
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