Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) suggested that the military allow veterans the option of choosing their own health care, rather than being forced to rely on military hospitals.

McCain pointed to reports of forty soldiers dying in Phoenix waiting for healthcare services from a military hospital, calling it a “national tragedy.”

McCain made his remarks during a foreign policy speech at New America, shortly after he addressed a Senate hearing with the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

McCain said that Veterans Affairs should continue treating veterans for war wounds, post-traumatic stress disorder, and prosthetics, but that veterans should have more choices for basic health care.

In an NBC News op-ed, Retired U.S. Army Col. Jack Jacobs, decorated with the Medal of Honor, suggested a similar solution.