Bipartisan outrage over comments made by Veteran's Affairs Secretary Bob McDonnell yesterday, when he compared veteran wait times at VA hospitals to rides at Disneyland, is growing by the hour.
McDonald, who was appointed by President Obama in June 2014 after former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned, is attempting to clarify his remarks and VA officials are making excuses.
Republican Senator Roy Blunt has had enough.
"I call on him to resign because it's clear he cannot prioritize getting our veterans the health care they deserve and have earned 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 told CNN Tuesday.
Illinois Democrat Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, who is also a veteran who lost both of her legs to an IED explosion, called McDonald's comments "tone deaf." California Democrat Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez expressed similar sentiments and House Speaker Paul Ryan blasted McDonald, reminding him veteran healthcare is not a ride at a theme park, but rather a matter of life and death.
Meanwhile, the White House has yet to issue comment on the situation.