Retired brigadier general slams AOC's characterization of the VA
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has come under fire because of recent comments regarding the current status of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“All I can think of is that classic refrain that my parents always taught me growing up, is that: ‘If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Cortez said last week. "They're trying to fix the VA for pharmaceutical companies, they're trying to fix the VA for insurance corporations and ultimately they are trying to fix the VA for a for-profit healthcare industry that does not put people or veterans first."
The freshman congresswoman’s remarks were among long-time calls to allow veterans who receive their benefits through the VA to go outside of the federal system and seek care from private doctors. The Department of Veterans Affairs has been plagued by scandal over the years that include extensive wait times for vets seeking care.
Retired Brigadier General Anthony Tata said Cortez has no interest or knowledge of the Veterans Affairs department.
“For anybody to say the veterans administration is not broken they just flat do not know what they are talking about. They have not been to a veterans administration hospital. They have not talked to veterans,” he said during an interview with FOX Business’ Trish Regan on Tuesday.
Veteran suicides has drawn new attention with some suggesting its reaching epidemic levels. Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to commit suicide than people are have not served in the arms forces. There were 19 suicides on VA campuses from October 2017 to November 2018 and the VA says that it stopped 233 suicide attempts in the same time period.
"In 2014, 7,400 veterans killed themselves, many waiting for health care. That's 18% of the people that committed suicide when veterans are less than 1 percent of the population. Trish, these are the people we need to be looking out for because these are the people who looked out for us," Tata said.
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President Donald Trump took to Twitter to share his agreement with Cortez.
“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is correct, the VA is not broken, it is doing great,” he tweeted on Wednesday. “But that is only because of the Trump Administration.”