Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) has become the first member of the Democratic leadership to call upon Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign.
Israel is the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In an interview on CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper, Israel was challenged as to whether Shinseki should resign.
"Look, I have tremendous respect for the general, for his service to his country, to his four stars," said Israel. "But if it's going to take his resignation to turn over a new leaf at the V.A., to bring in badly needed reforms that I have advocated since 2008, then yes, he should resign."
Tapper asked Israel again whether he was specifically calling for Shinseki to resign.
"He should resign, in my view," said Israel. "But there are too many of my colleagues who are saying that that resignation is going to solve the problem. It's not going to solve the problem. What's going to solve the problem is a criminal investigation, with or without his resignation, and getting to the roots of this to make sure that it's solved and it never happens again."