Saturday, May 6, 2017

Conway: 'Where the hell were those Democrats' when veterans waiting for care?

The Hill ^ | May 5, 2017 | Max Greenwood 

Senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway on Friday railed against Democrats criticizing the GOP plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, suggesting they failed to put in the same effort during the 2014 Veterans Affairs wait-list scandal.
"Where the hell were those Democrats – excuse me – when veterans were dying waiting for care?" Conway said on Fox News.
"I didn't see them coming on TV with hosts that just sat there listening to them and their screed when there were veterans dying for care and deserve better."
Scandal erupted in the Veterans Health Administration in 2014 amid revelations of negligence and crushing wait times at VA facilities. The scandal prompted a White House investigation of the VA and legislation to reform the agency.
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly promised to improve veterans' healthcare and increase accountability within the department.
He signed an executive order late last month creating the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying at the time that reforming the agency will be one of the "crown jewels" of his presidency.
Democrats have fiercely criticized the American Health Care Act, the GOP measure aimed at repealing large parts of former President Obama's signature healthcare law.
The House narrowly passed the bill on Thursday, sending it to the Senate, where Republicans have already vowed to make big changes.

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