Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, a political appointee of President Barack Obama, is furiously back-tracking after a disastrous decision to compare wait lines at VA hospitals to Disneyland.
McDonald publicly apologized after a Republican senator called for his resignation and GOP lawmakers and veterans’ service groups slammed his remarks as insulting and inappropriate.
McDonald said at a breakfast Monday that the VA should not use wait times as a measure of success, comparing waits for VA health care to the hours people wait for rides at Disney theme parks. McDonald said a veterans’ health-care experience was more important than the time spend waiting for an appointment.
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said McDonald’s “preposterous statement is right out of Never Never Land” and said the VA leader has shown he cannot ensure that veterans receive health care in a timely manner
“Dismissing wait times when veterans can often wait months for an appointment is negligent and a clear sign that new leadership is needed at the VA,” Blunt said as he called for McDonald to step down.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called McDonald’s comments “disgusting and beyond the pale,” although he stopped short of calling for him to step down.
“This is not make-believe. This is not Disneyland, or Wonderland, for that matter,” Ryan told reporters. “Veterans have died waiting in line for their care.”
Republicans said McDonald’s comments were especially egregious since he took office in 2014 after his predecessor was forced out amid a scandal over chronically long wait times at VA health care sites and reports that as many as 40 patients died while awaiting care at the Phoenix VA hospital. Similar problems were discovered at VA health sites nationwide, along with a widespread practice among VA employees of creating secret lists to cover up the long wait times and receive VA bonuses.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, a member of the Republican leadership, said McDonald’s comments were hard to believe. “When you go to Disneyland, you aren’t wondering if you are going to live long enough to make it to Space Mountain,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
After making a comment such as that it tells me, A Ret USAF VET, that I do not want such as him representing me or
dealing with my health care issues. Unlike him I served my Country for 23 years, when and where they sent me.
I never betrayed the trust place in me by my fellow member nor the materials entrusted into my care. Now he wants
to compare out treatment to a visit to Disney Land. What a total buffoon and establishment asshole, remove him from
any dealing with Veterans who have served their Nation and in many cases paid a great price in doing so.
It’s all on Obama. He sets the tone.
Well said
I agree with James Maxwell… 100 % !
In the Book of the Covenant Jesus Christ son of God says… ” do unto others what you would have them do unto you ..” … There is also the Law of Sowing and Reaping which is a spiritual law that – once in motion – cannot be reversed !! so we are all subject to this Law… reaping time will come in due course for man ..
Wouldn’t expect anything less from President Oboz’s head of the VA – he’s just as much a moron as our “Playtime Commander-in-Chief”.
What would we all expect from the rotten Lefty-Losers ? ! Honestly, the only way we will get what we need and deserve is to VOTE THE TURKEYS OUT OF OFFICE ! That means, Disabled Vietnam Veterans: 68-70, like me and others need to get more active at the grass roots to stir up people to vote for the RIGHT MAN ! We are not voting for a new Pastor for the church, but someone, along with his human faults who has the know how and spunk to do the job right, friends !! That is: IF we even make it to election time…. duh.
The difference between Disneyland and the Veteran’s Administration is significant. Disneyland is run as a profitable money-making business. The Veteran’s Administration is run like a Mickey Mouse operation by a bunch of Goofy administrators. Disneyland has grown rich off its fantasy land. The VA’s dreams of providing quality service to our vets is pure fantasy.
Maybe its time to pay for vets health care through the regular health care industry.
Well-said, Justin!
You don’t write songs, do you? Excellent word-smithing, no matter what your profession or aspiration.
Don’t talk about it, remove him and get someone who really cares. I am sick of all the talk and faked concern for the Vets, and I am one of these Vets.
I– wonder– if the 58 thousand who got killed In Vietnam , would had said, what this nefarious Neanderthal thinks about us veterans .now here is a question that congress needs to address. if you served 2–20- years . & you went to work in the privet sector ,& they checked how much money you made, & according to their guide lines ,you made to much money, they tell you tuff shit bubba , you don’t get n-o-t-h-I-n-g, & that a fact jack.
Ronald McDonald is a total douche.
I have often said that our Veterans are USED and ABUSED when they return home. This infuriates me since my father was killed in action and buried at sea during WWII when I was an infant. I despise VA Secretary McDonald for his lack of compassion for the veterans who seek medical help upon their return to the USA and that many have died prior to receiving such care. Our veterans are America’s precious SOULS who deserve the best. Shame on Obama, McDonald and all the rest of you cowards who don’t give a damn. You are dispicable and unpatriotic. This will come back to bite your A$$ and you will reap what you sow.
Do not vote for another democrat ever.
Don’t only blame the democrats, there was no destination between democrats or republicans in the bush in Nam We were all brother and that included all races. I didn’t see any kind of racism in the jungle, but I did see it by the REMF. The problem with Nam is that our so called leaders tried to run a war from thousands of miles away.Did anyone ever notice that when you see a general or high ranking officers they have a chest full of awards maybe all they did is take a jeep ride through a area under fire, and wham o they get an award to pin on there chest. The guys that do the fighting every day seven days a week look at there chest most of them get the awards that show they were there. I was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart by a LTC back in the rear area, I have been fighting for over 20 years to get those awards, my son took up the challenge he has been doing it for many years and all he is told is they can’t find the records. I was told the same thing by the VA, they went as far as to ask me if I had proof of being there, like pictures of people I killed or other firm proof. Needless they were not aware of the fact you were not allowed to bring those thing back to the states. Like the VA most of them are civilians and minorities that got the jobs while others put there ass on the line. If you have not noticed I am very upset at this government, as far as the VA goes I had to go over 9 months to see a doctor and I have seen the Doctor once since then February of 2016. I hear all the BS from McDonald that Veterans are getting seen in 30 days, Don’t believe that and don’t go top the Inspector General for The VA I sent a letter in December and have not received a letter telling me they got it. Also Congress and the Senate don’t answer either. I did get a reply from McCain he told me if it came up on the floor of the senate he would consider what I said, My health will never come up on the senate floor. Also don’t contact Fox News or MSNBC News they are like everyone else, when a holiday comes up they remember Veterans , We as Veterans are honor by most companies because they are having sales. Yes I am pissed, If you feel you want to cause yourself harm or anyone else cause you can’t get into the VA for help. The help they offer is if you are on the phone they tell you to hang up and call the crises line and give you a number . I am sure if you are thinking about taking your own life you have a pen and paper by your side.The problem why Veterans are killing themselves at a rate of 22 a day is because the VA forgot what was promise to Veterans when the enlisted and think no one cares. I better stop I could go on and on. All use Veterans are to this government is an out dated trained weapon that has out lived there usefulness. God Bless All Veterans and there families that are still dealing with the effects of war.
By the way John Kerry Secretary of State was in Vietnam for four months. He received 3 Purple Hearts all of which he recommended for himself the wounds he receive could be treated with band aides. He is also one of the Vietnam Veterans against the war in Nam. He was with all those guys that through there awards over the fence at the white house.
Just a little more about wait times. On April 5th, 2016 i had my eye exam at the VA. I only had to wait a week for my appointment. They told me it takes 4 to 6 weeks to receive my glasses in the mail. Well here it is 7 weeks later and no glasses. Today I called the VA and they told me it takes 1 to 3 months to receive your glasses. He told me that he wishes they would stop telling veteran’s 4 to 6 weeks and that it looks 91/2 week to get his glasses. Wow talk about a slow boat to China and back. Think it’s time to find another vender.
Michael. That’s probably where your glasses were shipped from. The slow boat from China. The lenses were probably made there too. Nothing is made in the United States anymore. After Mr. McDonald making a comment like he did, he should be fired and hire someone who really cares about vets.
Sign up with Kaiser Permanente..
Comparing Disneyland lines to wait times before one sees a doctor for possibly life-threatening ailments…what a disgrace!
When Trump is our Commander-in-Chief, he will make sure the VA leadership cares about the American vets they serve.
Let us let this Moron wait for his medical and let him go on Welfare. To Compare Veterans Healthcare to Disneyland is enough to show us how out of touch our leaders are. Veterans and their familys have sacrificed so much for so many yet they are treated worse than illegals in this country. Please fire this idiot with NO PAY AND NO Benefits
They are not “out of touch”. They dont give a damn.
Absolutely disgusting and impossible to walk back. Fairly typical for this corrupt administration.
I am a Viet nam veteran . I served with the fifth marines in 1966. I was gravely wounded , and was not expected to survive .but by the grace of the Almighty I did. When I was discharged as a sgt , I now was a civilian who had no idea what was wrong with my outlook on life . Being in combat sure screwed me mentally. When I finally sought help , I turned to the VA. what a disaster.Over the years my wounds got worse, I had surgery to try and fix what was ailing me. The VA. was a big mistake. I eventually went to a civilian hospital , guess what , they fix me up. Now I shy away from the VA. their record speaks for themselves. Don’t get me wrong, there are a ton of caring people working at the VA. They are overwhelmed and understaffed.Comments by the director of the VA. sure don’t help . What can we do to fix these problems?
My father and step father were vets in the World War 11 and they were not on the front line. my father was a dr. and my step father was an attorney. My father saved a lot of lives and to this day I have been told my people my father saved their grandfather and so on and so forth. We need a CLEANING OF THE VA. Why are there bonus paid they is a gov. job and no bonus should be paid for people not doing their job and vets are dying
I’m a 9th generation vet. I’ve been using the VA for almost 40 years now. I’ve seen the VA in my area (Mpls MN) go from a retro fitted horse barns and barracks, to a nice new shinny building. If only there methodology would keep up with aesthetics!
When the Mickey Mouse ways of the VA came to light, I was way to close to being one of those victims. I went into the ER 2 1/2 years ago, I had trouble breathing, major edema in my legs, amongst other things. They gave me a couple inhalers and off I went. One week later I had a deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. Yes this is a killer! It felt like some one was carving my lung out with a machete. They dropped the ball for sure with me!
But on the other hand, last winter my blood pressure went nuts to the point where I couldn’t walk. I walked into the ER, and when I was admitted it took one Dr. and five nurses to get me off the gurney! After my wildest fantasy come true, the Dr. asked if I died did I want to be resuscitated? DUH!!! They jacked me up a 1/2 dozen times with some clear liquid in a horse sized needle. All in all, with out a doubt they saved my life!
I’m sure all vets would agree with me that the care at the VA is either stellar, or cellar.
I would also like to THANK ALL YOU CIVILIANS for standing up for us vets. This supercedes being spat upon, having garbage thrown at, and the name calling! Less than 1/4 of the US qualify for the military. Even less for special forces and the corps!
There are good Drs. at the VA, but most seem to be pill pushing whores for big pharma! This fact is a major problem with the VA!!!! Chemicals for an organic problem is like spraying gas on a fire!
Semper Fi and God bless Smedley and Chesty where ever you are!
The reason this is so sad is that Mr. McDonald is a Veteran who had experience in the public-for profit-business world. He is also not a career politician, and this probably worked against him with his badly chosen words. A career politician would have known exactly what gobblygook to say without saying anything. I hope that Mr. McDonald survives and gets a chance to do some good. And, yes, I’m a veteran.