Two Democratic senators, Mark Udall of Colorado and John Walsh of Montana, are now calling for the replacement of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, as a result of the ongoing scandal over medical care for veterans.
"The inspector general's preliminary report makes it clear that the systemic problems at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are so entrenched that they require new leadership to be fixed. Secretary Shinseki must step down," Udall said in a statement. "We need new leadership who will demand accountability to fix these problems and ensure the VA is providing Coloradans the services they've earned."
Walsh, who is himself a veteran of the Iraq War, was even more forceful in his statement, directly calling upon President Obama to fire Shinseki: "The Inspector General's report confirms the worst of the allegations against the VA and its failure to deliver timely care to veterans. It is time for President Obama to remove Secretary Shinseki from office," he said.
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Both Udall and Walsh are running in swing seats this November, with Udall seeking a second term and Walsh seeking his first full term after being appointed to the Senate earlier this year.
Update: Two more Democratic Senators, Kay Hagan of Noth Carolina and Al Franken of Minnesota, have also called upon Shinseki to step down. Like Udall and Walsh, they are also running for re-election this November.
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