The Veterans Administration continues to face intense criticism, which continued this week at a Senate committee hearing:

Veterans Affairs officials illegally accessed whistleblower medical records to engage in a smear campaign aimed at covering up fatally lax medical care, according to testimony today at a U.S. Senate committee.

In a rare show of solidarity, Republicans and Democrats showed anger and distress during the testimony of witnesses Carolyn Clancy, the VA’s chief medical officer, and Deputy Inspector General Linda Halliday. That testimony followed whistleblowers who testified that VA officials tried to bully them into silence after reporting wrongdoing. Their detractors continue to work in the VA.