Arizona Rep. Biggs calls for VA Secretary Shulkin’s resignation
Mar 14, 2018, 1:28 PM
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PHOENIX — Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs released a statement on Wednesday that called for the resignation of Veterans Adminstration Secretary David Shulkin.
“Secretary Shulkin was appointed to ensure that veterans’ needs were prioritized,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, Secretary Shulkin has not risen to the task.”
“He has refused to engage with congressional representatives at a level commensurate with the seriousness of the challenges we face. I have lost faith in his ability to lead this department in the right direction.”
The statement came after reports this week that President Donald Trump had floated the idea of replacing Shulkin with Energy Secretary Rick Perry. The report said that Trump believes Shulkin has become a distraction.
The recent fallout of support came shortly after a 150-page report was released last week by the VA internal watchdog. It showed that at least three VA offices directly under Shulkin’s watch experienced “serious, persistent deficiencies” when he was VA undersecretary of health from 2015 to 2016.
Shulkin acknowledged that problems were “systemic” and has pledged wide-scale change across the VA.
Biggs did not seem convinced.
“Veterans in my district deserve reassurance that the country they fought for is capable of fulfilling its promises to them. It does not seem possible under Secretary Shulkin’s oversight.”