For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Senator Murray holds the GAO report she requested on the VA budget.

Murray's floor remarks:

"Over the past two budget years, the Bush Administration was dramatically wrong in its planning for veterans' healthcare. The result was a $3 billion shortfall last summer. This was not just a failure in planning. It meant failing to get veterans the services they required in a timely fashion. It meant veterans had to face long waits to see a doctor. It meant they didn’t get the care they deserved."

"That horrible planning is no way to care for the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. We can do better. That's why after that failure, I joined with Senators Akaka, Durbin, and Salazar. Together, we asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate what happened at the VA. This is the report we got back. Frankly, the answers are damning, and they cast doubt on whether we can rely on the VA for accurate numbers and straight answers."

More