(21 May 2014) President Barack Obama said Wednesday if there's misconduct at the Department of Veterans Affairs, it will be punished.
Speaking after an Oval Office meeting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and top aide Rob Nabors, Obama defended Shinseki, insisting no one cares more about the nation's veterans.
Obama has tasked Nabors, his deputy chief of staff, with overseeing a review of the VA health system and he said if during the course of that investigation, the allegations of misconduct prove to be true, it will be "dishonorable and disgraceful." And he said, "I will not tolerate it, period."
The president said he won't stand for people covering up long wait times or cooking the books. But he also asked for patience while investigators get to the bottom of what happened.
"I know that people are angry and want swift reckoning. I sympathize with that. But we have to let the investigators do their job and get to the bottom of what happened. Our veterans deserve to know the facts, their families deserve to know the facts. Once we know the facts, I assure you, if there is misconduct, it will be punished," Obama said.
He also had this message for veterans: "We are going to fix whatever is wrong and so long as I have the privilege to serve as commander-in-chief, I am going to keep on fighting to deliver the care and the benefits and the opportunities that your families deserve. Now and for decades to come."
While Obama vowed to hold anyone found to have manipulated records accountable, he continued to stand by Shinseki, despite calls from some congressional lawmakers for the retired Army four-star general to resign.
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