Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Contact: Michael Houston, IAVA 212-982-9699 or
Confirmation Hearings Begin For VA Secretary Nominee Veterans Demand Answers to Tough Questions for Peake
NEW YORK - Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the country's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, issued the following statement in regard to the upcoming Senate confirmation hearings for VA Secretary nominee, Lt. General James Peake (Ret.), M.D.
"The new Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs will be on the frontlines of an urgent fight to improve care for this country's veterans. With almost 400,000 pending disability claims, the VA faces massive challenges that must be addressed by a dedicated and effective leader," said Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA Executive Director. "Dr. Peake possesses unique qualifications for this critical position. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran and would be the first general and first medical doctor to serve as Secretary of the VA. Important questions about his candidacy exist, however, and IAVA will monitor the upcoming confirmation hearings closely to hear his responses." IAVA's top ten questions for Dr. Peake are available at http://www.iava.org/10questionsforpeake
"During Dr. Peake's tenure as the Army surgeon general from 2000-2004, some of the most serious problems facing Iraq veterans were already coming to light, including the problems at Walter Reed and the flood of veterans needing mental health care. But these issues were not adequately addressed. We need to know how Dr. Peake will prevent these types of mistakes from happening again, as well as how he plans to move the VA forward. What will he do to improve the GI Bill, to implement the Dole-Shalala recommendations and to address the massive backlog of VA claims? The answers to these questions are significant for the 1.5 million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and their families," said Rieckhoff.
"The new Secretary of the VA will inherit a department under enormous strain. With the presidential election less than a year away, he may have a small window to affect significant change. IAVA looks forward to learning whether Dr. Peake is the right candidate to hold this critical position."
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the nation's first and largest group for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A non-profit and nonpartisan organization, IAVA represents more than 62,000 veteran members and civilian supporters in all 50 states. For more information, please visit www.iava.org.
