The VA spent $6.3 million on fountains and statues

Congressional review of the spending habits of the embattled Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reveals the agency has spent some $6.3 million on fountains and sculptures for its facilities, primarily at two locations in California.

One of the installations is a giant section of Morse code quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt. It is on the side of a parking garage, lights up in rainbow colors, and cost a cool $285,000.

"It is simply beyond me why VA would choose to [fund projects] by cutting medical services and medical facility dollars but not the exorbitant conference spending or bloated relocation expenses or art," said Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), who has critiqued the sculpture spending.

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In recent years, the VA has also been caught going wildly over budget on hospital construction, providing slow and inadequate service to veterans, using faulty medical equipment, engaging in corrupt activities with minimal consequences, and fudging the numbers on veteran suicides.