Ousted veterans’ head warns of political privatisation push

Bloomberg

David Shulkin, removed days ago as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, said political appointees engineered his ouster as they push for “more aggressive” changes to how the sprawling department is run.
“I did not resign,” Shulkin said on Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” In a separate interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he said that “There would be no reason for me to resign. I made a commitment, I took an oath, and I was here to fight for our veterans.” Shulkin said he wasn’t asked to submit a resignation letter, and did not write one. The manner of Shulkin’s departure — a resignation or a firing — may have implications for how President Donald Trump can fill the position.
Trump announced Shulkin’s ouster in a Twitter message, in which he said he was nominating White House physician Ronny L. Jackson to head the department, which is second in size only to the Defense Department.
Shulkin has warned that service members and their families could see a decrease in care if the agency goes ahead with plans to broaden its use of the private sector.

‘BRUTAL’ STRUGGLE
The Veterans Administration operates 145 hospitals, 300 veterans’ centers and more than 1,200 outpatient sites, according to a fact sheet on the department’s website. Veterans can visit non-VA health-care facilities if they face delays or travel burdens, though Shulkin has warned that the program to pay for it is projected to run out of funding in May.
In a New York Times op-ed published on March 28, Shulkin said that he was fired after losing a “brutal power struggle” by balking at proposals for privatizing VA care. The effort is being pushed by Trump appointees and a group called Concerned Veterans of America that’s backed by billionaire right-wing Republican donors Charles and David Koch.
Senator Bernie Sanders said on Sunday on CNN that Shulkin’s ouster was part of a “massive effort” by the Trump administration to privatize federal government operations. The Independent senator from Vermont, a member of the Senate veterans affairs committee, said he’ll do anything he can to not approve a nominee who plans to privatize the VA.

‘DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT’
Shulkin said he believes the best way to improve the Veterans Administration is to work closely with Congress and with veterans groups. “I’ve always had a very good relationship with President Trump,” Shulkin said, adding that political appointees created a “difficult environment.”
Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, said on “Meet the Press” the president’s habit of firing people via Twitter could make it more difficult to recruit talented workers for other posts in the administration.
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster were both fired via Twitter in March after policy disagreements with the president. Shulkin said he had a heads-up from White House Chief of Staff John Kelly shortly before Trump’s tweet landed.
“The president does need to understand the effect it has on attracting other people,” Johnson said. Johnson said, though, that presidents “do deserve and have advisers that actually agree with them on policies,” and that an Inspector General’s report on Shulkin’s travel expenses was “pretty troubling.”

WIMBLEDON TICKETS
Shulkin was chided in a report on a July 2017 trip to Europe with other VA officials. The government covered the cost of airfare for his wife, who is a dermatologist in private practice, and the couple improperly accepted tickets to watch tennis at Wimbledon.
Shulkin later reimbursed the costs in question. But he pushed back vigorously on NBC against any impropriety or ethical violations.
“I do not believe that there was any misuse of government funds,” he said adding that a statement he prepared on the topic was removed from the VA website.
Other Trump Cabinet members have come under fire for their spending practices. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned amid several investigations into his use of taxpayer-funded jets.