VA Backlog at 400,000 Claims, Untouched for 4 Months

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More than 400,000 claims from the nation's warriors have been left untouched for more than four months in the offices of the Department of Veterans Affairs, it has been revealed.

And it's not even the fault of the government shutdown — the number actually went down during the 16 days that Washington stood nearly idle.

The latest figure, from last Friday, stands at 411,704, The Wall Street Journal reports. These are claims that were filed before June 15. 

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On the last Friday before the shutdown, the number of backlogged claims stood at 421,973, so during the time Washington was on furlough, the numbers went down by more than 10,000.

GOP Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado, who sits on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said, "This drop is stunning in light of the administration's threats the backlog would increase as a result of a government shutdown."

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki had said that claims processors would lose ground during the enforced break. Employees had been working mandatory overtime shifts to clear the backlog. When the government closed up shop, claims were processed but hours were cut.

The VA has struggled with a backlog problem for years. New computer systems have enabled employees to clear claims faster, but the VA still fell short of its own processing goal this year. Republican Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida believes this is the issue to focus on.

"Instead of debating whether or not VA's dire predictions regarding the shutdown’s impact came to fruition, I remain focused on a much more important question: Why is the department still falling short of its own backlog goals?" he said. 

The agency had planned to process 1.27 million claims by the end of June, but only processed 1.17 million claims.

Via: Newsmax

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Cruz hits back at the 'Let Obamacare Collapse' caucus

There are several Republicans in the House and Senate who have taken the position that the GOP should allow Obamcare to be implemented because the party will benefit politically when the expected collapse occurs.

Senator Ted Cruz was on CNN this morning and gave what I consider to be the proper response to such rampant cynicism:

Bash asked Cruz if he believed that Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius should resign. Cruz replied that he believed she should. Bash questioned him about the politics of that. She asked, if Sebelius is such a liability for the Obama administration, whether Republicans benefit more from her remaining in her position.

"There are Republican gray beards that make the point, 'Let's let this collapse,'" he said.

"And they think you're stepping on the message," Bash added.

"I profoundly disagree with the message," Cruz shot back. "I want to step on the message."

"I consider that very -- the Bad Samaritan theory," he continued. "Basically inflict a bunch of harm on the American people and hope we benefit politically from it. What a terrible, cynical approach."

"I'm not interested in seeing the American people suffer just because my party might benefit politically if they blame the Democrats for the foolish policies that have been imposed," he concluded.

Via: American Thinker

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[VIDEO] Graham Calls on Ryan and Boehner to Pass Bill That Would Not Delay, Defund Obamacare

Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) today called on Representative Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) to take on a leadership roll in negotiations over the government shutdown.

Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Graham told host George Stephanopoulos that he believed Ryan should partner with Speaker John Boehner to pass something “that doesn’t delay or defund [Obamacare], but would be good government.”

“That’s the best thing for the Republican party and for the country,” Graham said. “But as between House and Senate Republicans, the sooner this is over, the better for us, guys.”

Ryan has come to the fore lately in negotiations; last week, Ryan published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal that proposed a compromise that would trade relief from the sequester for entitlement reform.

Via: NRO

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