Veterans' Affairs Secretary Says He's 'Mad as Hell' but Not Planning to Resign

Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki explained that he would not resign his position after reports surfaced of secret waiting lists at veterans hospitals which were delaying care for veterans.

Shinseki has been facing increasing calls for his resignation from members of Congress and the American Legion.

During the hearing, Shinseki said he was “mad as hell” but failed to display any emotion when questioned about the reports.

Any disciplinary actions, Shinseki explained, would rely on a pending report by the Veterans’ Affairs Inspector General, which he estimated would take at least three weeks to complete.

Dr. Robert Petzel, the Veterans’ Affairs Under Secretary for Health, insisted that the department was working on holding government officials accountable, but couldn’t offer any details of a specific case during the hearing.

Petzel vowed that offenders would be “disciplined” but couldn’t say whether or not they would lose their jobs.