GraniteGrok: Sununu smackdown of Secretary Peake

John E. Sununu

US Senator John E. Sununu today handed Veterans Affairs chief James Peake a well-deserved smackdown over his dopey comments dissing the ability of American veterans to become "educated consumers" in the area of their own personal healthcare...

WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senator John Sununu (R-NH) today (6/26) committed to expanding healthcare access for veterans and called U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake's recent comments on healthcare accessibility for veterans 'short-sighted.' Sununu issued the following statement on Thursday:

"After a productive personal meeting Tuesday morning, I'm very disappointed with the reports I read of short-sighted comments by Secretary Peake regarding the Manchester Veterans Hospital. As I made very clear in our meeting on Tuesday, New Hampshire needs -- and our veterans deserve -- a full-service veterans' hospital or a system that provides full, in-state services.
"During the past eight years, I have worked aggressively and successfully with other Members of the New Hampshire Delegation to expand health care services for NH veterans. Over this period, the VA renovated and opened an audiology clinic, added an eye clinic, and established a state-of-the-art same-day surgical suite and ophthalmology surgery program. A new women's clinic opened in 2003, a primary mental health clinic was created in 2006, and outpatient clinics have opened in Conway and Somersworth. Most recently, Senator Gregg and I received funding for a center in Berlin to provide all veterans with counseling and outreach services.
"These steps are in the right direction, and for the Secretary to suggest that we can't do more is simply wrong. I will continue to push for expanded services and the ability of all New Hampshire veterans to receive treatment from local providers when not available in Manchester."

Comments

I think it's called "damage control"..

Posted by: John | June 26, 2008 11:33 PM

Posted by: John | June 26, 2008 11:34 PM

Peake's comments are no different than what we already know...and that is that our Military are treated as second class citizens...their ID card should open any door for health care at any doctor or hospital. We have those that have Green Cards, No Cards - illgels - and they get treated. What is wrong with this picture? Our Military should be offered the same (if not better) health benefits that we pay for our Senators and Congressmen. I wonder how they would feel if they had to go to a hospital that only saw them...and maybe their state did not have a facility??? Yeah - right...they are looking out for themselves and just give lip service - no matter what their political affliation. We will be starting a grass roots effort to have the Military ID recognized in any hospital or doctor's office - and these men, women and their families will get the coverage that they should have had all along. Can't we as a country really support the Military (Active and Retired) 100%??? Stop sitting on your rears, talking about how unfair this is and do something - anything to make this a reality.

Posted by: Susan | June 28, 2008 8:03 AM

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Sununu smackdown of Secretary Peake

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