>>> WELCOME BACK TO "VELSHI & RUHLE."
RUHLE." DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN’S AFFAIRS
IS ABOUT TO GET A PERMANENT
SECRETARY.
SECRETARY. SENATE VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY 86-9
YESTERDAY TO CONFIRM ROBERT WILL
CAN I AS THE NEXT SECRETARY.
HE REPLACES DAVID SHILL KIN WHO
WAS FIRED IN MARCH.
TAKING OVER A DEPARTMENT THAT
HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH PROBLEMS
FOR YEARS.
FOR YEARS. >> LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF
THE BIGGEST ISSUES.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
PROVIDES HEALTH AND OTHER
BENEFITS TO NEARLY 20 MILLION
MILITARY VETERANS.
MILITARY VETERANS. IT’S THE NATION’S SECOND LARGEST
BUREAUCRACY
BUREAUCRACY BUREAUCRACY.
BUREAUCRACY. THERE’S A BUDGET BATTLE ALREADY
UNDER WAY.
UNDER WAY. THE V’SA’s PROPOSED BUDGET STAND
AT $199 BILLION.
PART OF THE BUDGET SHORT FALL
COMES FROM THE VA MISSION ACT OF
2018, A MASSIVE RESTRUCTURING OF
THE MEDICAL CARE PROGRAMS.
THIS LAW SIGNED LAST MONTH
CONSOLIDATES THE COMMUNITY CARE
PROGRAMS AND EXPANDS VETERAN
ACCESS TO PRIVATE DOCTORS.
WILKIE IS ALREADY ON THE
DEFENSIVE.
DEFENSIVE. HE HAS PROMISED TO OPPOSE THE
EFFORTS.
EFFORTS. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE WORK
FORCE.
FORCE. VA EMPLOYS MORE THAN 377,000
PEOPLE WITH AN ADDITIONAL 4,000
WORKING OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.
FORMER SECRETARY SAID THERE ARE
ABOUT 45,000 JOB VACANCIES.
THIS IS A MASSIVE ORGANIZATION.
JOINING US NOW IS MELISSA, THE
CHIEF POLICY.
CHIEF POLICY. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.
>>.
>>. >> YOU HAVE INTERACTED WITH HIM
SEVERAL TIMES.
SEVERAL TIMES. DO YOU THINK HE’S UP TO THE
TASK?
TASK? IS.
IS. >> I THINK HE’S HIGHLY
INTELLIGENT.
INTELLIGENT. HE’S VERY THOUGHTFUL IN HIS
CONNECTION AND WANTING TONE SURE
VETERANS ARE TAKEN CARE OF BUT
HE CERTAINLY HAS HIS HANDS FULL.
>> VACANCY, A LOT OF WORKERS,
BUDGET SHORT FALL.
BUT IF YOU’RE AN AMERICAN
VETERAN, A WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST
PROBLEM WITH THE VA NOW?
>> IT’S ACCESS TO CARE.
VA MISSION ACT THAT SUPPOSED TO
HELP RESOLVE THAT, SUN SET THE
CONTROVERSIAL CHOICE PROGRAM AS
YOU OUTLINED EARLIER, THAT’S
SOMETHING THAT OUR VETERANS TELL
US IS THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE,
GETTING VA CARE, GETTING INTO
THE SYSTEM.
THE SYSTEM. THAT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGES HE NEEDS TO REDUCE
ALONG WITH THE SUICIDE RATES
WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
HE ALSO NEEDS TO REALLY HEAVILY
FOCUS ON SUICIDE PREVENTION.
>> SEEING ALL THE CHALLENGES,
WHY IS PRIVATIZATION SUCH A BAD
MOVE?
MOVE? >> PRIVATIZATION OF THE VA WOULD
BE DISASTROUS IN THAT IT WOULD
SEND MILLIONS OUT IN THE U.S.
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM COSTING
UPWARDS OFFIANS TRILLIANONS OF D
PROSTHETICS USED FOR AMPUTEES
AND A AMPUTEES.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT
ARE GERMANE TO THE VETERAN
POPULATION THAT THE VA HAS
SPECIALIZED IN FOR YEARS AND WE
WANT TO SEE THEM CONTINUE THAT
SPECIALIZATION.
SPECIALIZATION. >> YOUR GROUP HAS WORKED WITH
THE VA SECRETARY SINCE 2004.
HOW DO YOU GO INTO THIS
RELATIONSHIP WITH WILKIE AND BY
EXTENSION A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION?
>> WE HAVE WORKED WITH
SECRETARIES AND WE HAVE WORKED
ACROSS THE AISLE, ON THE HILL,
EVER SINCE OUR CREATION IN 2004.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
SECRETARY WILKIE GOING FORWARD
AND MEETING WITH HIM ROUTINELY
AS OTHER VETERAN SERVICE
ORGANIZATIONS WORK WITH US.
WE STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
WITH THEM IN WORKING WITH HIM.
I’VE PERSONALLY SPOKEN WITH HIM
A FEW TIMES.
AGAIN, I THINK HE’S UP TO THE
TASK.
TASK. WE REALLY HOPE HE’LL FOCUS ON
IMVA’S BIG SIX PRIORITIES WHICH
INCLUDE SUICIDE PREVENTION AND
VA REFORM SUCH AS THE MISSION
ACT.
ACT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING
REGULAR SCHEDULED CONTACT WITH