Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said on Wednesday that a forthcoming bipartisan resolution will call for the Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged misconduct within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Cassidy and Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) announced the resolution a week after a VA audit revealed more than 57,000 veterans were forced to wait more than three months for an appointment and that VA records were manipulated to conceal long wait times.
“The internal VA audit released last week confirmed our suspicions that the VA is being mismanaged,” Cassidy said. “Now a special council should be appointed to determine whether or not this mismanagement is criminal. We have an obligation to care for our troops when they return home. The internal VA audit showed that this responsibility is being ignored.”
Cassidy said an investigation by a special counsel would help legislators develop patient-centered VA reforms that make quality care a top priority.
Barrow said the full picture of the VA’s issues is becoming clear, and one person isn’t going to be able to fix the problems.
“We have to make sure we hold all of the appropriate people responsible, and do whatever it takes to make sure it never happens again,” Barrow said. “The best way to move forward is to appoint a special counsel to investigate the allegations in this report. If they’re found to be true, crimes have been committed, and those responsible should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”