Committee praises VA nominee

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Committee praises VA nominee
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, January 15, 2009

WASHINGTON — Senators had nothing but glowing praise Wednesday for Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Eric Shinseki, calling him an exemplary soldier and an excellent pick for the job.

But they also offered plenty of gloomy forecasts about the challenges facing the department in the near future, and warned Shinseki that good intentions won’t be enough to help veterans.

The typical wait for benefits from the VA hovers around six months, according to committee researchers. Medical records still aren’t easily shared between VA and Defense Department physicians.

Thousands of young, combat-injured veterans are entering the VA health care system, and thousands of older veterans who’ve recently lost their jobs may soon follow. Aging hospitals and nursing homes need immediate repairs and funding to keep up with standards.

"If this was easy to fix, we would have done it already," Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said during the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee’s confirmation hearing.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60015