NBC ASKED HIM ABOUT THE CHANGES HE HOPES TO BRING ABOUT FOR
VETERANS AND THE CHANGES HE
STILL HOPES TO SEE.
>> I STARTED BY SERVING IN THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND I WAS
THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE
PRESIDENT’S CABINET TO BE IN THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION BUT THEN TO
SERVE IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND I THINK FOR
ME, THE MOST IMPACTFUL TIMES
WERE WHEN WE GOT MAJOR CHANGE
DONE FOR VETERANS.
11 LEGISLATIVE BILLS THROUGH
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. THROUGH THE PRESIDENT’S DESK.
AND THAT BEGAN TO REALLY MAKE
MAJOR CHANGE FOR VETERANS.
>> IF YOU’RE A VETERAN IN THE
U.S. RIGHT NOW, AND YOU’RE
HEARING ABOUT THESE CHANGES,
WHICH ONES RESONATE WITH YOU
MOST?
MOST? WHICH ONES ARE THE -- WHAT CAN
VETERANS POINT TO AND SAY, HEY,
THIS ISHAS CHANGED?
>> FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO
REMEMBER WE HAVE 20 MILLION
VETERANS IN THIS COUNTRY SO IT’S
A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR
POPULATION, AND THE V.A. DOES SO
MANY THINGS, BUT ONE OF THOSE
MAJOR PIECE OF THAT WE GOT DONE
WAS TO DO THE NEW G.I. BILL AND
TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE AND
ACTUALLY THEIR DEPENDENTS GET
THE TYPE OF EDUCATION THAT THEY
WANT TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE THE
CAREERS AFTER THE MILITARY IS
REALLY IMPORTANT.
REALLY IMPORTANT. WE MADE GETTING THEIR DISABILITY
APPEALS THROUGH A VERY
BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS EASIER AND
FASTER THEN WE REALLY STARTED TO
IMPROVE HEALTH CARE AND THOSE
THINGS IMPACT PEOPLE’S LIVES.
>> JUST TAKE A STEP BACK.
YOU SPENT A TUMULTUOUS 16 MONTHS
SERVING AS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
FIRST SECRETARY OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
AFFAIRS. AND YOU CLASHED WITH PEOPLE.
YOU CLASHED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE
AND OTHER POLITICAL APPOINTEES.
WHAT WERE THOSE CLASHES MAINLY
ABOUT?
ABOUT? >> WELL, WHEN YOU SERVE, WHEN
YOU COME INTO GOVERNMENT, I
THINK YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU
BELIEVE IN AND BE WILLING TO
STAND UP FOR YOUR PRINCIPLES AND
SO I KNEW THAT EVERY DAY THAT I
SERVED, I SERVED AT THE PLEASURE
OF THE PRESIDENT.
I WORKED HARD TO MAKE EVERY DAY
COUNT BECAUSE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
MY LAST DAY.
AND THE BIG ISSUE THAT I CLASHED
WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON WAS
HOW MUCH WE WANTED TO PRIVATIZE
THE V.A.
THE V.A. >> YOU MADE THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN PRIVATIZING THE V.A.,
WHICH YOU SORT OF LIKENED TO
DISMANTLING THE V.A.
WHY -- WHY WOULD THAT HAPPEN?
WHY WOULD PRIVATIZING THE V.A.
LEAD TO A WEAKER SYSTEM?
>> I BELIEVE THAT OUR VETERANS
DESERVE TO GET THE VERY BEST
CARE ANYWHERE.
CARE ANYWHERE. IF THERE’S ANY GROUP OF
AMERICANS WHO NEED THE BEST THAT
THIS COUNTRY CAN OFFER, IT
SHOULD BE OUR VETERANS.
SO THAT MEANS WHEN THE CARE IS
BEST IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR,
PRIVATE HOSPITAL, PRIVATE
DOCTOR, I THINK THEY SHOULD GO
THERE.
THERE. AND WE STARTED TO MOVE THE V.A.
IN THAT DIRECTION TO ALLOW
VETERANS TO HAVE CHOICES IN THE
PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT THE V.A.
DOES SERVICES AND PROVIDES
HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS THAT
THE PRIVATE SECTOR JUST DOESN’T
DO WELL.
DO WELL. AND SO I THINK YOU NEED A STRONG
V.A. SYSTEM, MODERNIZING IT,
MAKING SURE IT’S THERE FOR THE
FUTURE AT THE SAME TIME WHILE
OPENING THE SYSTEM UP AND THAT
REALLY WASN’T THE MODEL THAT
SOME PEOPLE, SOME OF THE
POLITICAL APPOINTEES IN MY
ORGANIZATION, FELT THAT WE
NEEDED TO DO.
>> WHAT DID YOU WANT TO REFORM
AT V.A. THAT YOU DIDN’T FEEL
LIKE YOU COULD?
>> WHEN I ENTERED THE V.A.,
THERE WAS A NATIONAL WAIT TIME
CRISIS.
CRISIS. VETERANS WERE WAITING WAY TOO
LONG FOR CARE AND UNFORTUNATELY,
SOME WERE BEING HARMED BY THAT
WAIT.
WAIT. MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME WAS
TO MAKE SURE NO VETERANS WERE
BEING HARMED BY A WAIT THEN
BEGIN TO REALLY MODERNIZE THE
SYSTEM SO IF IT COMET BECOMES EF
AND EASEIEREIER TO USE AND MORE
RESPONSEIVE TO WHAT VETERANS
WANT.
WANT. >> WHEN I TALK TO VETERANS A
LOT, THEY CONSTANTLY BRING UP
MEDICAL MARIJUANA.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA. I KNOW IT’S AN ISSUE THE V. A.A.
LOOKING AT.
LOOKING AT. DO YOU THINK THE V.A. SHOULD BE
RESEARCHING MEDICAL MARIJUANA?
>> I DO.
>> I DO. I THINK THE V.A. SHOULD BE
RESEARCHING ANYTHING AND ANY
REASONABLE QUESTION THAT MAY
HELP VETERANS.
HELP VETERANS. WE HAVE TOO MANY ISSUES WITH 20
VETERANS A DAY TAKING THEIR LIFE
FROM SUICIDE.
FROM SUICIDE. AND TOO MANY PEOPLE SUFFERING
WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND ANXIETY
ISSUES AND OTHER PROBLEMS THAT
ARE ESSENTIALLY THESE INVISIBLE
WOUNDS OF WAR.
IT IS AN OBLIGATION, I BELIEVE,
THAT WE EXPLORE EVERYTHING AND
ANYTHING THAT COULD HELP
VETERANS AND CERTAINLY MEDICAL
MARIJUANA, AS WE SOEE, NOW
LEGALIZED IN OVER HALF THE
STATES.
STATES. I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA. I’M TALKING ABOUT PROPERLY
PRESCRIBED.
PRESCRIBED. >> IN ORDER TO DO THAT RESEARCH,
HOW DOES THAT WORK LEGALLY WITH
WHERE MARIJUANA CURRENTLY STANDS
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL?
>> WELL, I DO THINK THAT THERE
NEEDS TO BE SOME LEGISLATIVE
RELIEF TO ALLOW V.A. RESEARCHERS
TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS A VERY
RESTRICTED DRUG RIGHT NOW, TO BE
ABLE TO DO RESEARCH ON IT.
AND I THINK THAT WITH SOME
LEGISLATION, AND THERE IS SOME
PENDING BEFORE CONGRESS, IT
WOULD ALLOW THE RESEARCHERS TO
BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THESE
QUESTIONS IN A MUCH EASIER WAY.
>> WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM
VETERANS?
VETERANS? WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ARE THE
REAL IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT
VETERANS FEEL LIKE THEY NEED
MORE SUPPORT ON, THEY NEED MORE
RESOURCES ON, WHAT ARE YOU
HEARING FROM VETERANS?
>> THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT I
WORRY ABOUT IS WHETHER VAEMPBETE
ARE GETTING THE BENEFITS THEY
DESERVE IN AREAS THAT, FRANKLY,
DATE BACK AS FAR BACK AS THE
VIETNAM WAR.
VIETNAM WAR. AND EXPOSURE TO AGENT ORANGE.
WE STILL HAVE VETERANS THAT ARE
WAITING AND FIGHTING WITH US
ABOUT US HONORING OUR
OBLIGATIONS IN THAT.
WE HAVE VETERANS OF THE GULF WAR
WITH BURN PITS THAT ARE
SUFFERING THAT ARE STILL HAVING
TO FIGHT OVER GETTING THE RIGHT
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS. SO I WANT TO SEE A SYSTEMS
THAT’STHAT