And the problem goes well beyond Phoenix. In Pittsburgh, for example, six patients at a VA hospital died and more than 20 others at the same hospital became sick after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease due to contaminated water. As in Phoenix, patients at the Pittsburgh facility were kept in the dark about what was going on. Doctors and staff were aware of a potential contamination, but the veterans and their families were not informed.

This all unfolds against the backdrop of alarmingly high numbers of veteran suicides and a massive backlog of disability-compensation claims at the VA. As of April 26, there were more than 596,000 claims pending nationwide, and a majority of those had been pending for more than 125 days. More than 51,000 of these claims are pending before just two VA regional offices — those in Houston and Waco.

To be clear, this isn’t an excuse for the fatal mismanagement that occurred in Phoenix and Pittsburgh. Rather, it’s an extended symptom of the VA’s inability to uphold its commitment to veterans. Like many problems in government, the solution requires greater accountability and transparency. I’ve co-sponsored legislation that enhances both.