Sedona AZ (May 30, 2014) – The following news issued by Arizona U.S. Senator John McCain’s office:

This month brought Memorial Day, a sacred observance in America’s democracy on which the nation honors and thanks those who have worn the uniform of the United States and have served and sacrificed in its defense. It is therefore the height of shame and tragedy that at this time the nation is seized with the unfolding scandal of the government’s failure to meet its highest responsibility to veterans and wounded warriors. At least 42 Department of Veterans Affairs health-care facilities are under investigation for chronic mismanagement, deceitful and self-serving behavior, and inadequate provision of care. Whistleblowers allege that these and other failures at VA facilities may have led to the deaths of some 40 veterans. Simply put, America’s veterans are losing confidence in the one government agency that exists solely to care for them.

This week, the VA Inspector General released a deeply troubling interim report on the allegations of gross mismanagement and neglect at the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS). The report details delays in care and manipulation of record that are ‘systemic throughout’ the VA and states that officials in Phoenix may have misreported data to headquarters to cover up wait times which averaged 115 days for initial primary care appointments. The IG’s report today tells a far different story than the one I received in a letter from Secretary Shinseki responding to an inquiry I made regarding these allegations last month. I now believe that now is the time for Secretary Shinseki – a career soldier, a Vietnam combat veteran and a man whose career of service I have long admired – to step down from his post.

More broadly, Sens. Richard Burr, Tom Coburn and I are working on legislation that would strengthen the ability of VA administrators to hire and fire those charged with providing care and, most importantly, give far greater flexibility to veterans to get the care they need and deserve, where and when they want it, whether in the VA system or not.

Veterans have earned the right to choose where and when they get their medical care, and it is our responsibility to afford them this option. Continuing to require that they rely on a system riddled with dysfunction, while waiting for broader reform, is patently unacceptable.

My staff and I are doubling down on our efforts to help Arizona veterans get the care they deserve. If you know a veteran encountering problems receiving care please contact my office at 602-952-2410 or here. Our nation has a duty to provide the best quality of care to those who have served and sacrificed on our behalf, and we must hold to account those responsible for breaking faith with that solemn obligation.

Arizona Defense and the National Defense Authorization Bill

This month, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) “marked up” the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2015 (the full Senate will vote of this bill later in the year). Eleven of my amendments are included as provisions in the bill, 3 of them are of particular importance to Arizona.

A-10 Amendment: This provision would keep A-10s flying and fully operational for an additional year. I have been a leader of the fight in the Senate to stop the premature retirement of the A-10. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson is home to the 355th Operations Group, which includes more than 80 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and hundreds of military and civilian personnel – supporting over 1,000 total jobs in the Tucson area. By unanimously passing my amendment, SASC recognized the unique value and close-air support capability the A-10 provides our troops in the field, and rejected the President’s proposal to prematurely divest the Air Force of this remarkable aircraft, which has saved so many lives in combat. We have tens of thousands of ground troops in Afghanistan today that depend on the A-10 for close air support. If we did away with the A-10 capability before fielding a suitable replacement, it would dramatically increase the risk to our troops in the conflicts of today and the future.

Tomahawk Missile Funding Amendment: This provision would continue funding for the purchase of Tomahawk missiles. The Obama Administration had planned to halt purchases of Tomahawk missiles without a clear plan to replace them with a next-generation land attack weapon. The Tomahawk is one of the most utilized weapons in the U.S. Navy – it would be a real gamble to halt their production without a replacement weapon available. The production of the Tomahawk missile supports approximately 200 jobs at Raytheon in Tucson.

Army Test and Evaluation Command Amendment: This provision would prohibit the Army from consolidating Army Test and Evaluation Command programs until the Secretary of the Army submits a report to Congress with a business case analysis of the proposed consolidation, an estimate of the savings, and an assessment by the Director of Test Resource Management Center at the Department of Defense. The Electronic Proving Ground (EPG), which tests some capabilities and missions of the Army Test and Evaluation Command, is based at Fort Huachuca. The EPG supports approximately 150 government jobs at Fort Huachuca and perhaps as many as 400 contractor positions.

Confirmation of 6 Arizona Judges to Federal Bench

This month, the Senate confirmed several judges to serve in federal trial courts in Arizona. The U.S. District Court in Arizona has been under tremendous strain due to the fact that 6 of the 13 authorized judgeships were vacant. A declared “judicial emergency” since 2011, the court’s growing caseload and backlog threatened to undermine the timely administration of justice in parts of Arizona. Although long-overdue, I am proud that the Senate this month confirmed an historic and impressive slate of six judges, which will greatly help this court fully and efficiently carry out its important work.

The vote was the culmination of a long process, aided by the work of a non-partisan judicial evaluation commission in the state, which aimed to identify the best-qualified individuals to fill these vacancies. Congratulations to Steven Logan, Diane Humetewa, John Tuchi, Douglas Rayes, Rosemary Marquez, and James Soto. Each of these individuals understands the true meaning of public service, and their legal knowledge and extensive experiences indicate they will serve ably and fairly from the bench.

The District Court in Arizona made history with the confirmation Diane Humetewa, who will be the first Native American woman to serve as a federal judge. As a member of the Hopi Nation, she will be a welcome voice on a court tasked with deciding crucial issues for Arizona’s Native American tribes.

The confirmation of these six judges marked a tremendous day for these individuals, the federal court, and the entire State.

In Case You Missed It This Month

– The Wall Street Journal published my op-ed on the VA Scandal shadowing over us this Memorial Day.
– Phoenix and Sierra Vista held moving Memorial Day events on Monday. I was honored and humbled to participate.
– Senator Flake and I supported and the President signed into law a bill that enables the Forest Service to correct a mapping error that accidentally placed several homes of the Mountianare community on national forest land. The affected homeowners may not have been able to rebuild if the Slide Fire damaged their homes because, due to this error, they technically did not own the land. The new law allows the homeowners to purchase the underlying federal land directly from the Forest Service.
– Senator Flake and I applauded the Forest Service’s decision to designate ten locations across Arizona’s six national forests as emergency “insect and disease treatment areas,” which will enable the agency to accelerate forest management projects to mitigate the increased risk of wildfires on about 182,000 acres of Forest Service land that Governor Jan Brewer formally submitted as high-risk for tree mortality due to insect infestation. Last month, we requested the Forest Service give timely consideration to Governor Brewer’s request.
– The U.S. Department of Agriculture resumed the inspection of cattle that are exported from Mexico through the port of Douglas, Arizona. Last month, I had a positive discussion with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during which he assured me that he would implement certain protocols to safeguard the lives of inspectors traveling into Mexico and reopen the Douglas cattle-crossing.
– I provided opening remarks expressing my outrage and disappointment due to the recent allegations of gross mismanagement, fraud and neglect at a growing number of Veterans Administration medical centers across the country at the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing before VA Secretary Shinseki testified.
– The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held at hearing on importance of forest management on Indian reservations – read my opening statement here.
– I held a press conference with other senators opposing the premature divestment of the A-10.
– I applauded the House Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan vote to protect the A-10.
– Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) unveiled the 2014 Congressional Pig Book, which includes 109 examples of unacceptable government waste totaling $2.7 billion in taxpayer dollars.
– I was honored to deliver the Weekly Republican Address on the VA scandal that is growing across the country.
– Senate Resolution congratulated the success of charter schools as an essential part of meeting the educational needs of students in Arizona and nationwide. I am proud that Arizona is home to the number one charter school in the nation, Basis Charter School.

Event Spotlight: KFYI Veterans Forum

This month, I was honored to participate in a KFYI veterans forum with radio host Mike Broomhead. The event was open to veterans and their families to air their grievances, raise awareness of issues at the VA, and receive help from my staff with their particular cases. The room was so full and the outrage among veterans and their families so intense that we had over 75 people listening from the hallway. At the beginning of the event, family members of four veterans who passed away in recent months told their stories – with tears in their eyes, they described how their loved ones suffered because they were not provided the care they needed and deserved. They recalled countless unanswered phone calls and ignored messages, endless wait times, mountains of bureaucratic red tape while their loved ones suffered debilitating and ultimately fatal conditions. Many veterans in the room echoed their concerns and story after story deepened my commitment to do better on behalf of those who have given us so much. My staff stayed for an additional two hours after the event speaking one-on-one with veterans, identifying resources and handing out over 100 forms to initiate casework on their behalf.