>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT WE WILL CONTINUE
MONITORING THIS BRIEFING BUT
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT
DEVELOPMENT AND WE DON'T WANT TO
SAY IT'S COINCIDENTAL TO A CHAT
WE HAD YESTERDAY WITH SCOTT
DAVIS THE WHISTLEBLOWER AT THE
VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION WHO WAS
TELLING US SOME PROBLEMS THAT
WERE PERSISTING THIS LEGISLATION
THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE
WITH THE $52 BILLION PLAN CALLED
THE VA CHOICE AND COMMUNITY CARE
ACT AND IT ESSENTIALLY WOULD
AMONG MANY MANY OTHER THINGS
ALLOW VETERANS WHO ARE FACING
LONG WAITS AT VA HOSPITALS TO
PICK AND CHOOSE A PRIVATE
HOSPITAL IN NEARBY COMMUNITY AND
GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE OR
AT LEAST THE FRONT OF THE BOOK
ING PROCESS.
THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM BECAUSE
WAIT TIMES WITH ALL THE CHANGES
AND ALL THE HOOPLA BACK AND
FORTH, WE'VE NOT REALLY SEEN
MUCH PROGRESS IN THAT REGARD,
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE GOT
WITH SCOTT DAVIS ON THIS WHOLE
ISSUE WAS WHETHER THOSE WAIT
TIMES HAD EVEN IMPROVED MARGINAL
LY.
HE SAID COLLECTIVELY THEY HAVE
NOT BUT CRISIS LINES THINGS GOT
A LITTLE BIT BETTER BUT BY AND
LARGE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
COMING IN AND EVEN WITH THE MUCH
TALKED ABOUT PROMISE HOPE FOR
NEW DIRECTION IT HADN'T
MATERIALIZED THIS WAS FROM SCOTT
DAVIS YESTERDAY.
YOU'RE SAYING WITH THE EXCEPTION
OF THE SO-CALLED CRISIS HOTLINE,
YOU WAIT AND YOU WAIT A LONG
TIME, STILL.
IS THAT TRUE?
>> THAT IS CORRECT AND MATTER
OF FACT THE HILL DID A REPORT ON
THIS JUST IN MARCH THAT VA HAD
BEEN CAUGHT SENDING FALSE
REPORTS ABOUT WAIT TIMES.
WE KNOW THAT VETERANS ARE STILL
WAITING ON AVERAGE LONGER FOR
CARE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT
FIXING WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR
OFFICE.
NEIL: SO YOU HAD SAID THAT
WHETHER THE PRESIDENT REALIZES
IT OR NOT AND I QUOTE, THINGS
HAVE GOTTEN MUCH WORSE SINCE HE
TOOK OFFICE.
YOU TOOK GREAT CARE NOT TO BLAME
HIM BUT WHAT DID YOU MEAN?
>> WELL, I MEAN THAT EVEN
THOUGH HE IS NOW THE NEW
PRESIDENT, THE PEOPLE WHO RUN VA
, WHO ARE RUNNING IT INTO THE
GROUND WHEN HE WAS CAMPAIGNING
ARE STILL THERE.
PEOPLE LIKE DR. CAROLYN CLANCY,
BROUGHT INTO RUN VHA, FOUR YEARS
AGO DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE
SCANDAL AND 2014 SO IT'S NOT
JUST ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE
PRESIDENT OR BRING IN A NEW
SECRETARY.
YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF THE
PEOPLE CAUSING THE PROBLEM.
NEIL: BOTTOM LINE, THAT IS NOT
EVIDENT.
THERE HAVE BEEN VERY FEW FIRINGS
IN FACT VERY LITTLE
ADMINISTRATIVELY THAT HAS
CHANGED THERE AND SO A LOT OF
OUR BRAVEST CONTINUE TO WAIT AND
DOESN'T THIS NEXT GUEST KNOW IT,
BUT IS HERE TO TELL ABOUT IT AND
MAYBE SOME SIGNS FOR HIM AT
LEAST, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR
PROGRESS, THE FORMER MARINE BOMB
TECHNICIAN JOHNNY JOEY JONES WHO
EXPERIENCED A LOT BY THE WAY
WITH SCOTT DAVIS, VERY GOOD TO
HAVE YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, NEIL.
NEIL: TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
YOUR STORY AND WHETHER YOU ARE
SEEING CHANGE.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY SO TO ROLL
IT BACK IN 2010 I LOST MY LEGS
IN AFGHANISTAN, I RECOVERED
THERE AND FOUND A WAY TO WORK
AND TRY TO HELP OTHER VETERANS
2011 WORKED AT THE VETERANS
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE SO I'VE SEEN
FIRSTHAND FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL
OVERSIGHT SIDE JUST HOW BAD
THESE PROBLEMS ARE AND HOW BAD
WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE A
DEEP STATE VERSION IN THE VA IS
BECAUSE WE HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE
RIGHT NOW WHO THINK THEIR JOB IS
TO PRESERVE THEIR JOB AND
PRESERVE THE VA, AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY THE FUNDING THERE,
SO MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, JUST
THE OTHER DAY AND THIS IS YEARS
IN THE MAKING BUT KIND OF THE
STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S
BACK IF YOU WILL OUT OF FIVE AND
A HALF HOUR WAIT TIME AT A LOCAL
VA EMERGENCY ROOM BASED ON
INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ME BY
THE VA ON THREE DIFFERENT
OCCASIONS THAT'S WHERE I NEEDED
TO BE TO GET A PRESCRIPTION
FILLED AND WAS TOLD THEY
COULDN'T FILL IT THERE ANYWAY
AND TURNED AWAY.
I'VE HAD THE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
OF CLINICIANS AT THAT ER AND THE
DIRECTOR OF MY LOCAL CLINIC
REACH OUT TO ME AND BOTH HAD THE
SAME CONNELL: MESSAGE OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
THEY'RE UNDERSTAFFED AND THE
VOLUME IS TOO HIGH.
I HEARD THE SAME THING WHEN IT
TOOK TWO YEARS TO GET A HOUSING
GRANT THAT SHOULD HAVE TOOK SIX
MONTHS AND HEARD THE SAME THING
WHO LOOKED AT ME AT A VA CLINIC
AND SAID YOU SHOULD GO SOMEWHERE
ELSE AND A VA COORDINATOR TOLD
ME THEY COULDN'T GET ME A
WHEELCHAIR AND I SHOULD TALK TO
A NON-PROFIT TO GET ONE SO
EVERYWHERE IF IT'S VHA WHICH IS
SPECIFICALLY HEALTHCARE, THEIR
EXCUSE OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS
THEY'RE UNDERSTAFFED AND UNDER
RESOURCED SO THEY'RE
ALREADY OVERFUNDED FOR WHAT THEY
PROVIDE SO WE THROW MONEY AT THE
PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T GET BETTER
AND ONE PLACE TO LOOK IS
ADMINISTRATION AND THESE PEOPLE.
NEIL: SO JOHNNY WE HAVE THE FIVE
PLUS HOUR WAIT WHEN WAS THAT?
>> THIS WAS LAST WEEK.
I THINK ON MAY 8.
NEIL: LAST WEEK?
>> YES.
NEIL: SO THE REASON WHY I
MENTION YOU'RE A FAMILIAR FACE
TO A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE
YOU'VE BEEN ON FOX A NUMBER OF
TIMES YOUR STORY IS A VERY
INSPIRING STORY A LOT OF PEOPLE
ARE AWARE OF YOU.
DID THEY KNOW YOU NOT THAT THAT
SHOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
>> NO, WELL AND THAT'S WHAT'S
FUNNY ABOUT THIS.
I'VE HEARD FROM SENATOR ISAACSON
AND PURDUE, MULTIPLE VA
ADMINISTRATORS BUT WHEN I WAS
THERE AT NIGHT AT 3:00 IN THE
MORNING I WAS TOLD I COULDN'T BE
HELPED AND DECIDED TO LEAVE
INSTEAD OF WAIT WHAT WAS TWO
MORE HOURS TO BE TOLD NO, I LEFT
MY NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS AND
SAID LISTEN, LOOK ME UP SEND ME
AN E-MAIL IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE
TO GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION
BECAUSE YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR ME
AND NOT RIGHT FOR MILLIONS OF
VETERANS WHO DON'T GET TO GO ON
FOX NEWS AND TALK ABOUT THE
PROBLEMS IN THIS COUNTRY AND
POSSIBLE FIXES SO IT ISN'T LIKE
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TREATED WELL
BECAUSE OF WHO I AM OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT.
I RAISED MY RIGHT HAND IN
SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY.
NEIL: NO, I CLEARLY AGREE BUT IT
DOES MAKE YOU THINK IF SOMEONE
LIKE YOU HAD TO ENDURE THIS GOD
KNOWS WHAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
NEARLY SO WELL KNOWN HAD TO
ENDURE.
IF YOU HAD YOUR THEN THE TYPE OF
PERSON SHOULD HAD THE VA, WHAT
THEIR BACKGROUND SHOULD BE AND
WHAT THEY SHOULD DO FIRST WHAT
DO YOU THINK?
>> YOU KNOW FOR A LONG TIME I
THOUGHT IT WAS SOMEONE WHO
SHOULD RIGHT THE SHIP AND NOW
I'M BEGINNING TO BELIEVE IT'S
SOMEONE THAT'S WILLING TO
SCUTTLE IT.
JEFF MILLER IS A GREAT PICK.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT JEFF MILLER IS
WHEN I WORKED FOR HIM IN THE
HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
HE WASN'T AFRAID TO RACE ISSUES
THAT HONESTLY WERE THE RIGHT
THING TO DO BUT DIDN'T ANDER TO
EITHER POLITICAL SIDE WHETHER IT
BE REINVESTMENTING HOW VETERANS
GET THESE LARGE DISABILITY
CHECKS BUT ARE ABLE TO WORK
EVERY DAY OR GO TO THE VA AND
SAY WHY CAN YOU TAKE BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS AND NOT PROVIDE HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF
CARE.
THERE ARE FIXES ACROSS-THE-BOARD
AND I THINK IT STARTS WITH RE-
EVALUATING IF THE VA IS AN
AUNT EQUATED SYSTEM
ALTOGETHER ON THE HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION SIDE AND I KNOW I
COULD GO TO A CIVILIAN DOCTOR
AND HE KNEW MY NAME, FAMILY'S
NAME, WHAT I DID FOR A LIVING,
SAID THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE I LEFT AND
COULD CALL HIM AND GET SEEN 30
MINUTES LATER.
I NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THAT
IN ANY OF THE VA'S ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND THAT'S A BIG START
RIGHT THERE.
NEIL: IT'S AMAZING.
JOHNNY, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, BUT
IN A WAY I CAN.
JOHNNY JOEY JONES, AND AS HE
POINTED OUT, IT SHOULDN'T BE
ABOUT WHETHER YOU'RE KNOWN FROM
YOUR APPEARANCE ON FOX, JUST
THAT YOU SWORN ALLEGIANCE TO
THIS COUNTRY TO PROTECT THIS
COUNTRY AND DO EVERYTHING AS
JOHNNY DID WITH SOME BIG
SACRIFICES IN THE PROCESS BUT TO