the veterans benefit administration and the veterans health administration. last year this congress for this year appropriated $55 billion for vha. veterans health administration. of that $55 billion, most members would be shocked to know that 48% goes to direct patient care. we're talking about $27 billion of appropriated money goes to the delivery of health care to our nation's veterans. 52% goes to administration and other programs that emanate out of the vha budget. of that $27 billion, that's doctors and nurses, it's the delivery of care to all of our 8.4 million veterans who cbo has scored enrolled and active. now, it brings us to the house bill and the senate bill. the house bill was scored at $35 billion a year. and if fully implemented after the two-year period, scored it $50 billion. the house bill was scored at $44 billion. basic difference of timing on the wait times from 14 days to 30 days. now, i asked my colleagues around this table, is the cbo product that they have produced reflective of anything sane? that the scoring of a bill that offers li

the veterans benefit administration and the veterans health administration. last year this congress for this year appropriated $55 billion for vha. veterans health administration. of that $55 billion, most members would be shocked to know that 48% goes to direct patient care. we're talking about $27 billion of appropriated money goes to the delivery of health care to our nation's veterans. 52% goes to administration and other programs that emanate out of the vha budget. of that $27 billion, that's doctors and nurses, it's the delivery of care to all of our 8.4 million veterans who cbo has scored enrolled and active. now, it brings us to the house bill and the senate bill. the house bill was scored at $35 billion a year. and if fully implemented after the two-year period, scored it $50 billion. the house bill was scored at $44 billion. basic difference of timing on the wait times from 14 days to 30 days. now, i asked my colleagues around this table, is the cbo product that they have produced reflective of anything sane? that the scoring of a bill that offers li

the veterans benefit administration and the veterans health administration. last year this congress for this year appropriated $55 billion for vha. veterans health administration. of that $55 billion, most members would be shocked to know that 48% goes to direct patient care. we're talking about $27 billion of appropriated money goes to the delivery of health care to our nation's veterans. 52% goes to administration and other programs that emanate out of the vha budget. of that $27 billion, that's doctors and nurses, it's the delivery of care to all of our 8.4 million veterans who cbo has scored enrolled and active. now, it brings us to the house bill and the senate bill. the house bill was scored at $35 billion a year. and if fully implemented after the two-year period, scored it $50 billion. the house bill was scored at $44 billion. basic difference of timing on the wait times from 14 days to 30 days. now, i asked my colleagues around this table, is the cbo product that they have produced reflective of anything sane? that the scoring of a bill that offers li

this bureaucracy at the veterans administration has proven itself wholly inadequate. the first thing we should do is change the leadership. show that we are engaged in this. start moving to make fixes immediately. to have aust going quick follow-up. are these problems that might require additional resources? would you be willing to risk for expanding the budget if that is what is needed? >> they have a huge budget. if you listen to what some of these people are paid there, i do not think money is the problem. that has proven to be the case, we should look for more resources. i do not think that is the problem. i think it is more bureaucracy and in treatment -- entrenchment in all ways of doing things. in my district i mention how this could help them. it used to be better. we had a health facility in the san fernando valley which was closer to many of my constituents. they tore down the hospital and built an outpatient clinic. now they have to drive another .0 miles it does not make sense. we should be able to ring in some new leadership, bring in creativity, maybe ev

if there is a veterans administration that figures out to do that, that's fine. but don't make veterans drive 120 miles by a dozen facilities that can do just as well or better because we've decided that we want to put people in a system totally defined by the government. we're learning that people can make choices in so many areas better than the government can make those choices for them. and so as we think about our veterans, as we think about what we can do to be sure that they get the best care, that they're honored, their service is honored in the way they were led to believe it would be honored, this is a great time to have this discussion. so whether it's health care or everybody else or health care for veterans, the congress. united states and the -- the congress of the united states and the country have never been in a better position to talk about these issues. we've seen the consequences of taking steps in the wrong direction. now is a great time for our veterans and health care generally to see what we can do to take steps in the right direction. i no

able to ring in some new leadership, bring in some creativity, maybe everybody that works in veteran administration should be a veteran. that might be a place to start, somebody that understands the veteran's problems and do what ever they have to do to take care of those people. before he came to congress, i was in the retail business. we learned in retail that the customer is always right. well, the v.a.'s customer is the veterans. whatever it takes to make them satisfy customers a stone everything they have put out for the rest of us, we should do it. >> final question. >> i understand there may be a [indiscernible] heading to normandy next week. is that correct? would you be on that? >> i have been asked from leadership to lead a delegation back to normandy. it is the 70th anniversary of d-day, when our troops stormed the beaches at normandy. i have not had the opportunity ever of being there. i have heard it is a very moving, very inspirational place to visit. many of the veterans that will be there my speed there for the last time. i asked the leadership to lead the delegation back there. i a

but first we'll focus on what's happening in iraq and the latest on the scandal within the veterans administration joining me to talk about this is dan caldwell a former active duty marine who served in operation iraqi freedom he's currently the issues and legislative campaign manager for concerned veterans of america he joins us from washington dan we'll talk about the veterans administration in a moment but what's your read on what's going on in iraq well it's an unfortunate situation and i think it's a result of a very schizo phrenic foreign policy in the middle east that we've seen during.

but first we'll focus on what's happening in iraq in the latest on the scandal within the veterans administration joining me to talk about this is dan caldwell a former active duty marine who served in operation iraqi freedom he's currently the issues in legislative campaign manager for concerned veterans of america he joins us from washington dan we'll talk about the veterans administration in a moment but what's your read on what's going on in iraq. well it's an unfortunate situation and i think it's a result of a very schizo phrenic foreign policy in the middle east that we've seen during this current administration there's been very degrees of focus on iraq and on the middle east in general and there's been a really incomplete policy one minute we're drawing red lines the other minute we're talking about leading from behind we're being very aggressive in things like don't drone strikes going after al qaeda but then the next we're pulling back this is really results i think of this current administration not paying a proper attention to the growth of this group in the middle east and what has

have any good options in the crisis plus the latest on the problems within the veterans administration then the right to keep and bear arms it's at the heart of one of the most controversial parts of the u.s. constitution and a red hot topic in american politics my go all month attorney former speechwriter for president clinton delivers a biography of the second amendment it's all next on politicking. of the president a new book on the second amendment later in the show but first we'll focus on what's happening in iraq and the latest on the scandal within the veterans administration joining me to talk about this is dan caldwell a former active duty marine who served in operation iraqi freedom he's currently the issues in legislative campaign manager for concerned veterans of america he joins us from washington dan we'll talk about the veterans administration in a moment but what's your read on what's going on in iraq. well it's an unfortunate situation and i think it's a result of a very schizo phrenic foreign policy in the middle east that we've seen during this current administration

in addition to improving access and accountability throughout the veterans administration, this bipartisan agreement also addresses other issues such as g.i. eligibility for surviving spouses and in-state tuition for veterans enrolling in colleges and universities. much will depend on the details of the final bill, but senators sanders and mccain put together an agreement which is good for americans and veterans in our country. i commend them. i commend especially senator sanders for his leadership on this issue on work on veterans care. it is a clear indication how much he values this nation's service members. and john mccain, we could not have a more exemplary person dealing with v.a. health care as a result of his having spent long periods of time in v.a. facilities around the country when he was recovering from his ordeal in vietnam. so i appreciate him in many different ways, but today on this. for his labor in bringing both sides to the table to get something done on behalf of our veterans. i look forward to this legislation coming to the floor, and i would be happy to schedule a vot

and the other big story, what is next at the veterans administration. they were sending up more hometown in idaho of a ii word came that he had been released by the taliban. >> like a hundred christmases all rolled in to one. there's no better news this town could have received. >> but exchanging him for five terrorists is raising a lot of questions back in washington. we'll ask republican senator john mccain who spent over five years as a prisoner in vietnam what he thinks of the deal. then we'll turn to the scandal at the veterans administration and v.a. secretary eric shinseki resignation. >> don't have time for distractions, we need to fix the problem. >> schieffer: what is the solution? we'll talk with the chairman of the veterans affairs committee bernie sanders, former cia and nsa director michael hayden will be here. along with an all-star panel of analysts. 60 years of news because this is "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs good morning again when the president came to the rose garden for the announcement army sergeant bowe bergdahl

nsa, irs, veterans administration. is the va scandal that one that hits hardest? >> yeah, simply because it upsets so many people, and it just seems so beyond what the country should be toing for veterans and affects so many people. for those reasons politically it has a punch. >> does it have any impact on policy? i tend to think of president obama favoring government as the agency for delivery services. this is a case where government delivery of services is has clearly not done well. will there be an impact on the whole idea of government and policy? >> well, sure. i think not only republicans but also libertarians constantly point out that when you expect government to do too much, it almost always fails. here's a classic example. and, again, it's in an area where everybody supports full and good services for veterans. i mean, you just can't find anybody who doesn't support it, doesn't want it to work well, and yet look at this mess. >> dr. larry sabato, thanks so much for swrojoining us as alwa sir. appreciate it. >> enjoyed it, thanks. >>> does washington rea

even more important that we try to connect the very good electronic health record of the veterans administration with these emerging electronic health record information networks. it simply is leaving veterans behind to leave them out in these circumstances. so i hope that i'll have the chance to move this legislation on some other vehicle, but i have to say, as important as this bill was, it was disappointing that a piece of legislation as simple as mine, an amendment that i think would have enjoyed extraordinary bipartisan support, probably would have been one that was agreed to in a voice vote, never had the chaiens to see the light of -- the chance to see the light of day because, as i said, of the apreeiveiatio abbreviatid abruptness of the amendment process. i yield the floor. brume blummr. blumenthal: mr. p? the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. blume thank you. --mr. blumenthal: thank you. i want to begin by thanking a number of our colleagues, especially our good friends and very active members of this body, senator sanders and mccain for acting in a very bipartisan and c

>>> coming up -- kim lawton on faith-based groups teaming up with the veterans administration to help veterans struggling with problems that include moral injuries. >> there are no other institutions in our society that i know of except religious institutions that support people over their entire life course. >>> also, lucky severson on buddhism's enormous dhammakaya temple and the controversial dhammakaya movement, now represented in 30 countries. >>> and, the elaborate coming of age ceremony for hindu boys. >> major funding for "religion and ethics newsweekly" is provided by the lilly endowment, a private family foundation, dedicated to the founders interest in religion, community development and education. additional funding also provided by mutual of america, designing customized, individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. and by these funders. >> welcome. i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. there was a surge in militant violence this week threatening the iraqi government and state. christians were among the estimated 500,000

your veterans administration was an organized criminal enterprise where veterans because of intentional wrongdoing on the part of the v.a. employees, were left to die. that intentional wrongdoing premised on the oldest of motives. greed. this corruption and your intentional refusal to right this tragedy has brought disgrace on our nation and should be an impeachable offense. 40 deaths in one hospital in one city alone is too much. you say everything is a trumped up scandal. benghazi, the irs, the a.p., wiretapping, the secret service, mr. president, we are weary of your faked outrage and your claim that bad news just doesn't get to you. mr. president, why don't you just admit that this job is too much for a community organizer. try saying this was trumped up by your political rivals. and that's my open. coming up, a whistle blower. and vote in tonight's insta-poll. should veterans be allowed to get health care at private hospitals. >>> with me now, dr. katherine mitchell. she is a whistle blower who tried to expose this scandal but was repry imagined and was put on administrative leave

have been a lay skr-up for nbc to see the cn theme, normandy invasion, the mistreatment, the veterans administration subpoe administrati administration. so it was a glaring omission. >> it's more than an omission. this was deliberate. there is no way on god's good earth that nbc didn't feel obligatesed to bring it up but chose not to bring it up. there is no way that this thing was just an omission. this was a deliberate decision made. but look, it is no different than the coverage ofburg dom oig. benghazi disappears. the ir is the disappears. fast and furious disappears. stimulus abuses disappears. all these scandals are disappearing on purpose. do you know, i don't think that you folks at fox realize this. you're the only ones talking about this right now. the big networks have all decided they're not going to cover this. the "washington post" broke the story about the 47,000 veterans. these are our best people in the world who are waiting to get treated. i guarantee you that won't be covered tonight. >> well, what intrigues me is the pattern of behavior to look at this. because at least if you wa

and not inside the veterans administration. mr. chairman, i yield back. >> mr. jolly, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. as the assistant secretary of human resource i'm sure much of the conversation today is not a case of first impressions. the conversations about metrics and what are appropriate metrics and how they are reviewed. i resume there's been many conversations within the department already in the wake of the crisis about how performance awards are distributed and based upon which metrics. is that an accurate assumption? >> so much so that the acting secretary has already said there will be no towards for vha. >> so within those discussions or based on your knowledge and even if it's not factual and even if it's hearsay, are you aware of any metric that's been included in any executives of bonus or performance award system reducing the incidence of non-va care at a facility? >> i am not aware to my knowledge that if we written metrics at this point other than taking out the 14 day -- >>

i think the veterans administration is going to be better if they have to compete. and i've thought that for a long time. and i was at the truman veterans facility as i stand here at one of the desks that harry truman used when he was in the senate. his name is carved at the desk door. my good long time friend dewey ream who advised for on these vet issues, the head of the legislative issues in our state, we were meeting with the people that run that hospital and dewey ream said senator blunt has been saying for at least ten years we need to have more options for veterans. and i'm here today saying i think he's been right in that discussion, even though our defenders and advocates of the veterans hospitals and the veterans system wanting to make it better have been slow to embrace the idea of more options for veterans. but they're there now and the congress is there now. and this system will be better because veterans will have more choices. and there are some things, mr. president, that the veterans administration clearly, if they're not better than anybody else at

i don't want anybody who is associated with the veterans administration to believe that we are criticizing him. we are talking about a system that must be fixed. it is urgent that it be fixed. every single day that goes by the veteran is deprived of the care that he has earned serving this country, if you have amendments and think you can make this bill better, we will commit. we would be glad to discuss with few amendments to this legislation. we would be glad if you know how to make it better, but in the meantime can we sort of pledge that we are committed to seeing this thing all the way through? i would urge my colleagues to do that. again, i know i speak for senator sanders when i say, if you have a way to make this bill better, and then. but let's not get hung up on certain other aspects of our differences that have characterized what most people would view as gridlock in this body. i would urge my colleagues to look at this compromise, and it is a compromise and see if you wanted, think you can make it better, welcome your input, but also we would like to have your commitment to see

i hope my colleagues understand that this is no way, a comment on the veterans administration. i'll leave that to others and other judgments. because there are things done in the veterans health care system that only the veterans health care system can handle. ptsd, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, prostheses, war wounds -- that only the v.a. can do. and none of this that we are saying in any way denigrates or does anything that is uncomplimentary to the outstanding men and women who work in this system. we are proud of their work. it is the system that needs to be fixed. so i don't want anybody who is associated with the veterans administration to believe that we are criticizing them. we are talking about a system that must be fixed. it's urgent that it be fixed. every single day that goes birks a veteran is -- that goes by, a veteran is deprived of the service that he or she has earned sesqui this country. that's -- serving this country. that's why i urge my clerks if you have amendments, if you think that you can make this bill better, we welcome in. we'd be glad t

they will have mcdonald run the tattered administration of veteran affairs. ed to know about the new nominee. >> the president is calling on robert mcdonald to be head of the va administration. he is former ceo of proctor & gamble. some say he is up to the task. he spent 33 years at proctor & gamble. he over amosaw more than 120,00 employees who have operations around the world. this prepares him for the challenge of rebuilding a veteran's administration. he is familiar with how the military works because he's an army veteran and graduate of west point and achieved the rank of captain before leaving the military. the agency is facing allegations of patients dying while waiting for a doctor's appointment. va staff members are accused of falsifying records and wait times. it has been unsettling for millions of veterans who rely on the va for medical care. in a statement mcdonalds is a good man and a strong leader. he is the kind of person who is capable of implementing that is badly needed and long over due at the va. veterans affairs said we knees to improve tr

that work in the veterans administration are in fact as veterans themselves.e and i would love if you would o look at increasing whatever yout can do to increase that number.e i think there's nobody that understands the needs of veterans more than those who i have worn the uniform. so whatever you can do to get that third up, i'd really appreciate it. when we get to this 14-day wait period, and then i heard that li it's, quote, simply not attainable, end quote. what is realistic? >> i honestly don't know tonight. i do know what is unreasonable. i think 90 days is unreasonable. i thinkis 60 days is unreasonab. i don't know what the right an measure is.d we have to study it. we have to look at what is right for an individual veteran. it's based on his or her own preferences. acuity also needs to come into the mix for cardiology. 14 days is not soon enough, right? it has to be based on an individual veteran's urag requirement. i think setting an ness, st across-the-board standard encourages an attempt to meet that standard. we'll still measure timeliness, we'll still aspire to be faster,

. >> money is not the problem with the veteran's administration. it's management and accountability. >> reporter: but many democrats say it can't stop there. that's the federal government should invest more in veteran's care. >> what we're hear something that in many parts of this country primary care physicians are just saying we can't do it. too many people are coming in. >> reporter: some members of congress know firsthand how the va works but most do not. one in five members have served in the military down 70% in three decades. and in congress where seniority is power, the v.a. committees are not the one that is most members fight to serve on. turn over is high. of 25 lawmakers on the house v.a. panel, 17 are relatively new to congress. but they hope that they're listening and it's not what he calls politics as usual. >> using veterans to get re-elected and then forgetting about us. hopefully somebody will do something to correct this situation and take the political atmosphere out of this situation. >> reporter: veteran's groups say this time

on the left of the screen they're taking up the co-sponsored bill to reform the veterans administrationg some of the things they are looking for is a means by which veterans can get care proppo, something that orpik surgeon scott bausher said should have happened a long time ago. a key provision is if vets can't get the care when they need it, give them a voucher, they can go to any other hospital and get it. what do you make of that? >> i think it's a good start, neil. we've known for a long time our veterans are going unfror care. the veterans hospitals have always been a problem. most doctors work at v.a. hospitals when we go to medical school and residency and see how a top/down bureaucracy is just not the way to implement health care. >> there's problems, too, with the way you fire people. the reason we're told that people are passed up is because they don't have much power to fire people, demote people, move them around. in the house and senate legislation, there are protections to do that. but there are no guarantees that that will be in the final bell. what do you make of that?

but first we'll focus on what's happening in iraq and the latest on the scandal within the veterans administration joining me to talk about this is dan caldwell a former active duty marine who served in operation iraqi freedom he's currently the issues and legislative campaign manager for concerned veterans of america he joins us from washington then we'll talk about the veterans administration in a moment but what's your read on what's going on in iraq well it's an unfortunate situation and i think it's the result of a very schizo phrenic foreign policy in the middle east that we've seen during this current administration there's been very degrees of focus on iraq and on the middle east in general and there's been a really incomplete policy one minute we're drawing red lines the other minute we're talking about leading from behind we're being very aggressive in things like don't drone strikes going after al qaeda but then the next we're pulling back this is really results i think of this current administration not paying a proper attention to the growth of this group in the middle east and what h

but first we'll focus on what's happening in iraq and the latest on the scandal within the veterans administration joining me to talk about this is dan caldwell a former active duty marine who served in operation iraqi freedom he's currently the issues and legislative campaign manager for concerned veterans of america he joins us from washington then we'll talk about the veterans administration in a moment but what's your read on what's going on in iraq. well it's an unfortunate situation and i think it's a result of a very schizo phrenic foreign policy in the middle east that we've seen during this current administration there's been very degrees of focus on iraq and on the middle east in general and there's been a really incomplete policy one minute we're drawing red lines the other minute we're talking about leading from behind.

eligibility, hundreds of thousands of more people demanding and earning services from the veterans administration. some of have launched an un -- what i think is an unfair attack on the vast majority of va employees who are dedicated public servants to the nation and the veterans. these employees chose a career serving veterans, many, many of these employees as you know and each of your districts and states are veterans themselves. these employees whether it's a police officer at the dayton va, whether it's a claims of -- it's a claims processor at the cleveland's va or whether it's a nurse at the toledo community-based outpatient clinic, these employees are on the front line of care, their ones reducing the backlog, they're helping to eliminate veterans homelessness. they're the one senator isakson talks about trying to prevent suicide and create new ways to serve the veterans. 6.5 million veterans used the veteran health care system in 2013. 85 million patient visits. we shouldn't castigate those innocent and condemn va employees at large for the wrongs for a few and same time make everybody at

coburn, who understands and has been involved in this issue of veterans administration for many many years. and my colleague, who has taken a lead role in trying to address this terrible and almost tragedy that has inflicted. a bill will give eligible veterans greater flexibility with choosing their medical care and increased accountability and transparency within the v.a.. the bill would accomplish these goals by the following, it would empower veterans who cannot schedule an appointment within a reasonable time or live too far away from the v.a. medical facility, to exercise the choice, i emphasize the choice of getting medical care from any doctor or tri-care program. i always believed veterans could and should choose. that's where i first proposed in 2008 when i ran for president. give these veterans a choice card so they can take it and present it to the health care provider. prohibit scheduling or goals that can be used as factors in determining performance awards or bonuses. require the secretary of the veterans administration to establish policies that outlines penalties and e

money is not the problem of the veterans administration. it is management and accountability. and honesty in treating veterans and giving them what we need. i don't expect it to be a significant problem. it is a two-year bill. the sunsets after two years. there is plenty of money in the v.a. organization today to handle this. >> other any efforts to pay for this? >> it's paid for already. we have a problem in the v.a. system. they are not spending the money. that is management competency level issue. where is the competency? i remind you we have for v.a. hospitals under construction that are $1 trillion over budget. $500 million over budget in denver alone. it is called competency. we have to demand accountability. >> you can see why i recommend strongly that dr. coburn be the next secretary of veterans affairs. >> and were lobbying for john mccain to be jay carney's replacement. the administration has testified every year in front of the committee. what i don't want people to walk away from and think the v.a. is all about health care. 50% is about benefits. the vba side is as

or the veterans administration either. we also don't allow employees at the g.a.o. or the federal labor relations authority to unionize. in days to come, congress is going to have to take a hard look at reforming both the veterans administration and the i.r.s. one of the questions we're going to have to ask ourselves is whether these agencies with their important and sensitive missions and their poor performance in the recent past should be added to the list of agencies not permitted to unionize. not permitted to be partisan. anybody that doesn't understand that doesn't understand anything about politics. in addition as we continually look for ways to improve the efficiency of our government, we need to examine the overall practice of official time and determine whether it should be eliminated entirely. i for one don't believe that taxpayers ought to be footing the bill for union work. i think that the majority of the american people have given an opportunity to fully understand this practice and the abuse it entails would agree with me. one thing is for sure, madam

a lot are talking about the veterans administration. they have such problems and it would be a real benefit to the country if somebody with turnaround talent could come in. >> i'm wondering what words he had to say about general motors. him to sayever known a disparaging word about a competitor ever and he was not going to start yesterday or give direct advice. what he does day is, this is how ford does it. asked managers and employees and guys on the plant floor to bring forward any problems they had in a quick and tiny manner -- timely manner. if gm had the same culture in the asked you years, they would probably not be in this same position area have had their mileage, and problems. it is an open culture. >> i take my road test in a few weeks. what will make me want to in the future? about nobummed out flying car in the future. the first was this guy for ford. even self driving cars, alan did not seem excited. cars are driving themselves already. he said it would be alternative and electric for now. hydrogen cars will be the way of t

look what happened at the veterans administration hospital system.in't good and we need to change that. issue that is such a huge and we are trying to figure that out with whoever the new secretary will be. it is a bigger issue. then one person appointed by obama. i tried to make the point that the more wars to fight, the more veterans you will have coming home and some of these are military excursions we should not have been incurred -- engaged in. the more wars you fight for more veterans you will have coming home. if you have war veterans coming home with a system that is ill-equipped to handle their needs, this problem will get worse. what is your sense of whether we have a system for veterans or everyday americans that has the capacity to handle what alzheimer's with 60 million patients will do to overlie -- overload that system? >> doctors r incentivize to treat. surgeons get -- doctors are incentivized to treat. to change the structure of health care so we can address it early on where we can make an intervention. the best way to treat any dis

want to touch on the other big story this week, of course, and that is secretary of the veterans affairs administrationshinseki resigning amid this scandal within the va. there are questions about the care that veterans are getting today and the lack of service that they have gotten as the internal audit has found. you have got some 22,000 veterans from afghanistan, where you are, who will be returning home. how does this get fixed going forward? >> well, it must be fixed. that's first. let me, first, address general shinseki. as president obama said in thanking him for his service to our country over an entire career, we owe shinseki that debt of gratitude for his service. now, the bigger issue, which you have just asked me about, there are problems. we know from the va's inspector general's early and initial investigation that they are probably systemic. we need more facts. but the fact is, as president obama said, we are going to act now. we must act now to fix whatever is wrong. i'm committed to do that as secretary of defense, to continue to help veterans administration leaders. we do that now. we

if the senate confirms him, mc- donald will face the challenge of reforming the veterans administration. some v-a hospitals were found to be keeping secret waiting lists, and delaying patient care for weeks or months. the supreme court is expected rule this morning, on "hobby lobby's" claim that business owners with deep religious convictions should not be forced to provide free birth control to their employees. emma lacey bordeaux reports, the court's decision could have a sweeping impact on one of the mandates of obamacare. >> protesters stood before the u.s. supreme court last week calling on the justices to defend it religious freedom against what they see as government intrusion. >> our basic point is the government can put a company in a position of choosing between faith and law. >> they want an exemption from the mandate to provide certain forms of contraception pieplant the also known as the morning after pill which the company's owners of view as an abortion. just last year the obama administration allowed exemption for churches and also allowed some religious affiliated group

ht, -- hear throughout the veterans administration and negative impacts the veterans and the health care that they should be provided. v.a. wait times and scheduling issues have been the object of many investigations for many years. of numerous investigations by the committee for many years. we have many outstanding requests for information, and have held hearings to address the problems within v.a. that have led to veterans waiting so long for needed care. the v.a.'s office and inspector general has also repeatedly warned the v.a. about its substandard scheduling practices. from as early as 2005 in numerous reports, v.a.oig noted medical facility dis not have effective waiting list procedures, their outpatient scheduling procedures needed improvement nationwide, their data was often unreliable and they overstated their success regarding patient wait times. in december, of 2012, gao found that v.a.'s reported wait ties remained unreliable. vha's position continued to be implemented inconsistently across v.a., schedulers in fact lacked proper training and vha's appointment scheduling syst

, if you look at senator bernie sanders, veteran care reform bill, he would allow the veterans health administrationens of new facilities. in order for the veterans health administration to lease new facilities, they need permission from congress. you can be as good at logistics as you want to be. you have to be good at politics, you have to get a bill through congress in order to make basic changes at the veterans health administration, which is an inherent structural flaw with this type of health care system. it's why you need to give veterans control over the money that's paying for the benefits at the moment they enlist or take commission. let them choose a health insuranc9Ñ disability insurance plan that will cover them for the term of their enlistment or commission, and pick the health insurance company who is going to provide it for them and fire the company if they're not doing a good job. that's how you're going to fix the problem. >> yeah, first, the ability to fire someone who is not getting it done. all well pointed out. good seeing you. thank you. >>> meanwhile, how is this fix? give ou

of want to thank the veterans administration here tim. this is the first of all of -- r the shoulder. to make sure that our nation meet its obligations to those who serve this country. the military. i feel that every year and have had prior to this, it is denied, cover-up , and delay getting information to this no accountability, no transparency on behalf of the veterans of ministration. you know, i have to tell you, i think there are a lot of great men and women who work for the veterans administration. a lot of them are whistle-blowers who have put themselves a risk. if not for them we would not be here today cleaning up this problem. and so -- and i just want to say that i think one third of the men and women now work in the veterans administration, are in fact veterans themselves. i would love if you would look at increasing, whenever we can do to increase that number. there is no one understands the needs of veterans more than those who have worn the uniform. whenever you can do to get that out, i appreciate it. so when we get to thi

then we'll turn to the scandal at the veterans administration

a report from the veterans administration on how long that's wait for health care around the nation. that's it for this edition of pbs news hour weekend. that's it for this edition of pbs news hour weekend. thanks for watching. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> pbs news hour weekend is made possible by louis b and louise coleman. judy and josh westman. the wallack family, the sheryl and philip philistine family, roslyn p. walter. mutual of america, designing customized individual and group retirement products. additional support is provided by -- and by the public broadcasting and from viewers like you. thank you. er

you and charlie don't want a veteran's administration, and you have no -- >> you have no idea what you are talking about. if you threw more money at enron, which was a fraud, do you think it would help it out? the va hospital, and i know this from people who work there, is raoeuf with administrative fraud. i want to change it and people like you and ben want to throw money at it. >> no, i am happy to change it radically. >> it's the government. >> it should be the government. >> when has that ever happened that you threw something more money from the government and it made it better? >> h about world war ii. >> a report last year said 80% of the medical providers in the va got performance pay of some sort, but their performance was never measured. they are basically paying for failure within the va system, and i resent we don't want to take care of the veterans, and we are disappointed,nd sorry if i don't believe in socialized medicine when my great aunt was sterilized by the state of virginia, so sorry if we don't trust the government to take care of the most needy in the nation. >> w