Statements

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) issued the following statement after President Obama announced Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki's resignation:

"After weeks of muted reactions and tepid responses, I'm glad to see the President and Sec. Shinseki have heeded our calls for new leadership at the VA. As a decorated service member, Sec. Shinseki served his country well but his time at the VA has been marked by gross inefficiencies and mismanagement. President Obama must quickly nominate someone from outside the broken bureaucracy of the VA to implement immediate changes focused on providing our veterans with the care they deserve."

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U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas, Dist. 28) released the following statement on the resignation of Gen. Eric Shinseki as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs:

"Secretary Eric Shinseki should be commended for his years of service to our country, both in the armed forces and the Administration, but this is a needed change. It is clear that a change in the culture at the VA is overdue. Congress needs to work across the aisle to reform the VA in a way that will address deficiencies and provide better delivery of services to our veterans. It is vital that we get to the bottom of the ongoing issues that have interfered with the VA's mission of providing top level healthcare services. At the end of the day, every veteran deserves the highest quality of care and I will work with colleagues to ensure that these problems are resolved."

A spokesman for the USO released this statement:

"The United Service Organizations (USO), a private, non-profit created by President Roosevelt in 1941, has a long history of delivering critical support to America's troops and their families as they are serve around the world. During his time as President and CEO of the USO, Sloan Gibson worked tirelessly to support the changing needs of today's military with particular emphasis on our deployed troops, military families, wounded, ill and injured troops and their families and caregivers, and families of the fallen. He was the driving force behind the organization's growth and is credited with launching our Operation Enduring Care campaign that resulted in the construction of our USO Warrior and Family Centers at Ft Belvoir and Bethesda as well as several new programs designed to help troops in transition. A passionate advocate for those who are serving and have served, we wish him continued success."