Cong. Franks: The Buck Stops at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Arizona Congressman Trent Franks responds to President Obama's first visit to meet with veterans following the Phoenix VA scandal:

"President Lincoln explained that the role of government in caring for veterans is "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.”  Unfortunately, the Phoenix VA is ground zero for the tragic failures of bloated, big government bureaucracies. It is demonstrative of the chaos of government empowering itself with the care of our veterans rather than empowering the veteran herself or himself."I fear that the mismanagement and lack-of-care provided to our veterans in Phoenix and around the country will be a microcosm of what we can expect from Obamacare, which puts government in control of healthcare, rather than the doctor and the patient."Last year Congress attempted to empower veterans by passing sweeping legislation that would provide better access to quality care. Unfortunately, failure by the executive to implement these changes only allowed access to relatively few."When it comes to serving those who have served us all with honor and distinction, the buck stops at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  I am encouraged that President Obama has finally decided to visit the Phoenix VA Hospital to hear about the travesties that took place there.  It is my hope that he personally invests himself to ensure that what took place here never happens again."