The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) scandal has started to take on a life of its own, as lawmakers and veterans are sharply criticizing VA head Eric Shinseki after employees called attention to VA schemes to obscure long wait times for medical care.



MY decision to become a whistle-blower after 24 years as a physician in a Veterans Affairs hospital was, at first, an easy one. I knew about patients who were dying while waiting for appointments on the V.A.’s secret schedules, and I couldn’t stay silent.

One whistleblower - Sam Foote - explained his decision to come forward in the clearest possible terms:While lawmakers will no doubt pounce on the scandal to score as many political points possible, they should endeavor to protect the whistleblowers who brought the scandal to light. The VA whistleblowers deserve protection from retaliation and deserve to have the issue taken seriously. Too often members of Congress forget the whistleblowers who created the situation that makes real reform politically feasible, and even politically expedient.