“How many five-alarm fires will it take to get the Bush Administration to start treating our troops and veterans like a priority? I’ve been warning about this for years, but I’m truly staggered by the depth and breadth of problems detailed in the report. Our troops have done everything we’ve asked them to do, and they deserve better when they come home and need our help. Disgraceful is the only word that comes to mind.
“The most damning part of this report is that the red lights have been flashing for years, but the Bush Administration hasn’t taken these problems seriously. Last year, GAO reported similar problems facing service members and veterans seeking mental health care, and last spring a VA official said that mental healthcare was ‘virtually inaccessible.’
“Just last month, VA and Pentagon officials assured me they were working together on a seamless transition. They need to read this report.
“From sending our troops to war without critical armor, to housing them in squalor at Walter Reed, to leaving them to fend for themselves when they need mental healthcare, the Bush Administration is utterly failing our service members, our veterans and their families.
“It’s time for this Administration to admit the impact of this war after 4 years, and be honest with Congress and the American public on the resources we need to meet this national crisis.”
English 
Spanish