Mark Steven Kirk, Republican for United States Senator
“The VA has become a corrupt, political and bureaucratic mess on many levels – the more we learn, the worse it is. As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, I am confronting the VA at every level. I stand with those who shine light on the corruption, like at Hines VA Hospital. Too many of our health care workers are failing our vets, and the few who stand up to protect them are ignored and punished. I have enacted new laws to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and firing.
I continue to prioritize holding the VA accountable. Earlier this year, I called on the VA to address black mold festering at a Hines VA Residential Care Facility after whistleblowers informed me that the VA had failed to address the problem in a complaint filed in August of 2015 and sent a letter to the VA demanding immediate action and answers as to how this issue has gone untreated. In April, I demanded the VA take steps to address reports of cockroaches in the Hines VA kitchen after hearing complaints from whistleblowers that contamination has been going on for years. Most recently, I introduced legislation to address whistleblower reports that indigent veterans’ remains are consistently left in the Hines VA morgue for over 30 days. On numerous occasions, bodies of indigent veterans or veterans without next of kin, are left in the morgue without proper and timely post mortem care, allowing their bodies to badly decompose. Specifically, whistleblowers report that in the month of August, 2016, there were two veterans who had been left in the morgue for upwards of 45 days. I will continue to fight on behalf of our veterans upon my re-election.”
Website: https://kirkforsenate.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirkForSenate/
CVO is 501(c)(3) organization, so we do not endorse candidates. Our request for candidate inputs will be put on our website, so that veterans can educate themselves on the candidates.