

JOPLIN, Mo. – Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt stopped short of calling for the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shenseki following the allegations of a secret waiting list that may have covered up the true size of the agency’s health care backlog.

“The secretary resigning is too easy. If the secretary resigns, then you have the new secretary and give them a couple of years, then the president is gone and you have a new president and give the next secretary a couple of years to deal with this,” Blunt said. “It’s a big enough problem that someone resigning or the congress thinking you can solve it by giving them even more money is not going to solve this problem. The facts are there that need to be put together. The president needs to take responsibility for the government.”

On Wednesday, Blunt toured the state to talk about his efforts on mental health care, including as it relates to veterans. Prior to his stop in Joplin, Blunt visited the John Cochran Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Louis.

Blunt said the problem at the VA is not funding. Instead, he said the issue is prioritization and efficiency. “You have to make sure the resources are dedicated in the right way,” he said, adding that he thinks the whole model ought to be rethought to handle the new generation of veterans, including the consideration of a sort of voucher for veterans to use private health care.

“You’ll have to look at that. We ought to find the best thing that works for veterans and do that,” he said. “The best care in the best place at the best time.”

On Wednesday, Colorado Sen. Mark Udall became the first Democrat to publicly call for Shenseki’s resignation, citing “systemic issues” at the VA.