U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake are demanding the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. They're also calling for a department of justice investigation into the scandal.
The announcement was made Wednesday after the VA’s inspector general confirmed that some VA wait time data had been manipulated.
The report confirmed that about 1,700 veterans who were waiting for healthcare in Phoenix were not on an official waiting list. That means there was no way to figure out exactly how long they were waiting. The report also showed the average wait for primary care was 115 days, a number that far exceeds what the agency had reported.
McCain said there’s no proof that administrators like Shinseki directly knew about the data manipulation, but ignorance is not an excuse.
"We do know that the people in charge should know and the people in charge should be held responsible," he said. "Ignorance is not a rational for this kind of situation that has flourished for a number of years."
The senators say they will be releasing proposals for VA reform next week.
