A heated exchange during a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday between Rep. Mike Coffman and Veterans Administration (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald has led a veterans group to demand that McDonald apologize to the lawmaker.
When Coffman, a Colorado Republican, criticized McDonald for cost overruns at VA construction problems, McDonald interrupted Coffman and snapped, "I've run a large company, sir. What have you done?"
The Hill reported.
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"This is a department mired in bureaucratic incompetence and corruption," Coffman told McDonald, a former CEO at Procter & Gamble. "I think the public relations is great today. But there is no substance.
"As unfortunate as it is, that at the end of the day, at the end of the president's term, you will not have made a difference in changing the culture of this organization by virtue of the fact that you continue to gloss over its problems."
McDonald replied, "I'm offended by your comment. Actually, I've been here six months. You've been here longer than I have. If there's a problem in Denver, then I think you own it more than I do."
Coffman refused to let it go after the hearing,
posting on his Facebook page, "Let me start by telling you something I haven't done. I have never run a federal agency that tolerates corruption the way the VA has. I've never built a hospital that's years behind schedule and hundreds of millions over budget. And I've never been a shill for inept bureaucrats who allowed American heroes to die on a medical waiting list while waiting for medical service.
"This is the most arrogant administration in our lifetime. Most would apologize for a scandal committed against our military service men and women. This administration is seemingly incapable of feeling shame."
Pete Hegseth of Concerned Veterans for America told
The Washington Times, "The disrespectful comments made today by Secretary McDonald are unfortunately emblematic of the attitudes of many top-level VA executives: The VA bureaucracy cannot be questioned, and the VA system itself comes before the veterans it is intended to serve."
“The disrespectful, combative and accusatory tone Secretary McDonald took with Rep. Coffman today was out of line, inexcusable and in my view requires a formal apology," Hegseth said in a statement,
The Blaze reported.
"Not only did Secretary McDonald attempt to shift blame for VA hospital construction delays and cost overruns for a facility in Rep. Coffman’s district, but he then unbelievably spouted, 'I’ve run a large company, sir. What have you done?' to a 22-year Marine Corps and Army veteran who served in both Iraq wars."
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