VA secretary: White House didn't ask me to resign
Source: CNN
Updated 8:01 PM ET, Fri February 16, 2018
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 15: Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin testifies before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill on February 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)
Washington (CNN)Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin says he has no plans to resign -- and that during a roughly half-hour conversation with White House chief of staff John Kelly on Thursday, he was not asked to resign and did not offer his resignation.
Shulkin told CNN on Friday that he was focused on making sure the agency was on track with its mission to get the VA working better for veterans.
"I'm not going to let the politics of what's going on distract me from doing the job that I came to Washington to do," Shulkin, who served as undersecretary of health for the VA during the Obama administration before being tapped to lead the department, told CNN.
A White House official familiar with the situation confirmed reports that President Donald Trump was upset with Shulkin and that the White House will not be defending him amid accusations that he abused his position for personal travel. Shulkin's meeting with Kelly was previously reported by The Washington Post...................
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/16/politics/david-shulkin-interview-not-resigning/index.html
His chief of staff had to resign but he gets off scott free. I am going to call my Senators and Rep today and let them know how I feel.
Lawmakers give VA secretary a pass on travel scandal
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/16/va-secretary-david-shulkins-chief-staff-retiring-amid-travel-report-findings/344810002/
By ARTHUR ALLEN
02/15/2018 11:18 AM EST
House Veterans Affairs Committee members largely gave VA Secretary David Shulkin a pass over a scathing inspector general's report on his visit to Europe last summer after Shulkin promised to repay the VA for his wife's airfare and other trip expenses.
At a hearing on the administration's $198 billion VA budget proposal, members on both sides tut-tutted over the $122,000 cost of the trip but treated it as a distraction that they urged Shulkin to clear away so he could deal with substantial problems like paying for veterans care by community providers, EHR modernization, unused VA assets and streamlining benefit appeals.
"I believe your intentions to serve and care for our nation's veterans are clear," Chairman Phil Roe said in an opening statement. "I encourage you to take every step to address the findings of this report, and to make any changes necessary."
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The email falsely suggested Shulkin was receiving an award in Denmark, which, under arcane ethics regulations, meant the VA could pay for Shulkin's wife's trip expenses. ................................................
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/16/va-secretary-david-shulkins-chief-staff-retiring-amid-travel-report-findings/344810002/
VA secretary David Shulkin's chief of staff retiring amid travel report findings
Donovan Slack, USA TODAY Published 10:33 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2018 | Updated 6:23 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2018
The Veterans Affairs Secretary David J. Shulkin's chief of staff doctored an email and made false statements so the secretary's wife could use taxpayer money for her 10-day trip to Europe, an investigation found. Buzz60
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WASHINGTON — The third most senior official at the Department of Veterans Affairs is stepping down amid findings she misled ethics officials to secure approval for VA Secretary David Shulkin’s wife to accompany him on taxpayer-funded trip to Europe.
Vivieca Wright Simpson, Shulkin’s chief of staff, told colleagues Friday morning that she is retiring after 32 years at the agency and more than two years as Shulkin's most senior aide.
The announcement came two days after the VA inspector general released recommendations that she be disciplined for doctoring an email to an ethics lawyer to show Shulkin was getting special recognition or an award during the trip to Denmark and London last year, the criteria for clearing his wife’s flights on the public’s dime.
Wright Simpson declined to comment...................
= new reply since forum marked as read
"guy" that breezed right though his confirmation hearing to be head of the VA---------------he gets to bilk the public of the taxes we pay for the bills--------------------and then to top it all off, there is another jerk.........at the head of EPA, that every time he gets on plane, and human beings go up to vent there rage ( good for them ), he shits his pants, gets first class and gets to bilk the public out of our tax dollars, because he cannot stand the heat-------------------good 
Then there is the sexual predator his free rides are now up around 39 million, so that he can come out of the white house and give a thumbs up thinking that he has been vindicated in treason.........................so he can utter complete nonsense on about whatever a malignant narcissistic psychopath thinks when he puts a tie around his neck and looks in the mirror-----------------and says he is great, 
..........................
November 2018 cannot get here fast enough
clearance, who can be subjected to good old fashion "blackmail" but they are still on the taxpayers pay list----------
And then there is the racist Miller and Kelly, belittling gold star mothers and besmirching a sitting Florida Congresswoman who was in the car when the captain bone spurs showed his true colors of being a hypocrite when it comes to someone dying for the country......................
And then we the taxpayers have Zinke, a navy seal, and a POS hypocrite riding around on helicopters giving our land to whomever pays him off, while Cliven Bundy is still bilking the taxpayers and got a get out of jail free card right along with his two treasonous brat kids then to add to the mix, one "guy" by the name of Mnuchin, taking joy rides with his wife to see the sun, and my favorite is Wilbur Ross, and Mike Pence, and that Exxon POS Tillerson, they should be locked up just because they are who they are------------criminals in the aiding and abetting of treason................ .
Then while that is going on------------the country has Paul "ayn rand" Ryan and Mitch "yes he looks like box turtle" McConnell and all of the republicans kleptocracy gutting the Constitution.................doing nothing to the aforementioned treason being committed---------------------------
Thank you for reminding me to add to the list from yours......................good thing I take heart medication
November 2018 cannot get here fast enough
