Jacqueline Klimas
Articles by Jacqueline Klimas
New Veterans Affairs secretary needs to ‘take the heat’ — Sen. Bernie Sanders
Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent, said Tuesday that whoever becomes the new secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department will have to be "willing to take the heat." Published June 10, 2014
Rep. Luis Gutierrez: Don’t politicize children crossing border
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Illinois Democrat, said Tuesday that the influx of children coming over the border into the U.S. is a humanitarian crisis and should be separated from the larger debate on immigration. Published June 10, 2014
VA audit finds more secret wait lists
An internal audit of the Department of Veterans Affairs released Monday found that 70 percent of facilities had placed patients on a wait list other than the official electronic record. Published June 9, 2014
House vets chair: Senate plan is ‘nothing new’
Rep. Jeff Miller, Florida Republican, said Monday that the recent Senate plan to fix the Department of Veterans Affairs is something the House has been supporting for months. Published June 9, 2014
Seersucker Day returns on Wednesday
Members of Congress will trade in the drab gray and black suits for blue and white checks on Wednesday for National Seersucker Day. Published June 9, 2014
Obama student loan memo will help current, former students with debt
Cecilia Munoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said about 5 million current and former students will benefit from the president signing a memo Monday afternoon to reduce student debt. Published June 9, 2014
Long-term unemployed more likely to be depressed, poll shows
Those who have been out of a job for more than a year are more likely to be depressed, a poll released Monday found. Published June 9, 2014
Senators announce bipartisan vets bill to reduce wait times
Senators announced a bipartisan bill Thursday that would let veterans seek care at a doctor of their choice if long wait times or far distances prevented them from attending a Veterans Affairs facility. Published June 5, 2014
Texas VA probe finds more waiting list problems
Veterans seeking mental health care through the El Paso VA system were forced to wait more than two months just to get an appointment, a delay five times longer than the Veterans Affairs Department's official estimates, according to a study released Wednesday by a congressman from Texas. Published June 4, 2014
GOP leaders ask Obama to care for all vets, not just those in Phoenix
House Republican leaders sent a letter to the president Wednesday morning asking how he will help veterans who have been waiting too long for care beyond the 1,700 found by the inspector general in Phoenix. Published June 4, 2014
Sanders, McCain meet to work on vets agreement
While there's no bipartisan agreement yet, Sen. Bernard Sanders said Wednesday that both Democrats and Republicans have the same goal: getting veterans care as soon as possible. Published June 4, 2014
GOP senators unveil ‘choice’ plan for VA patients
Republican senators announced Tuesday a plan to give each patient at the VA a "choice card" that would allow him or her to seek care outside the VA system in certain circumstances. Published June 3, 2014
VA groups say speed, not spending, key for overhaul
Senate Democrats are rushing to craft a bill to revamp the Veterans Affairs Department in the wake of the burgeoning treatment scandal, but they are running into hurdles from some veterans groups who warn Democrats not to let a long wish list of spending get in the way of quick action. Published June 2, 2014
Veterans want better management, say more money at VA is not the answer
Within minutes of accepting the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, President Obama and some of his supporters in Congress signaled that their next goal may be a boost in funding for the troubled department's health care services. Published June 1, 2014
Boehner: Shinseki resignation ‘really changes nothing’
Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, said Friday that the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki does not fix widespread scheduling problems and delays in care across the VA. Published May 30, 2014
Eric Shinseki is out! Obama sacks Veterans Affairs secretary
President Obama accepted the resignation Friday of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, amid a burgeoning scandal over delayed care for veterans at VA hospitals. Published May 30, 2014
Wounded vet Rep. Tammy Duckworth: Shinseki ‘has to go’
Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a wounded veteran and former Veterans Affairs official, withdrew her support for Secretary Eric Shinseki Friday, saying it's time for him to step down. Published May 30, 2014
Shinseki apologizes, gets summoned to White House for ominous meeting
President Obama has called Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to the Oval Office, the White House said Friday, raising more questions about whether the embattled secretary will offer his resignation. Published May 30, 2014
Once a priority, unemployment benefits push loses steam
It dominated the Democrats' political attacks in December and early this year, but the push to extend unemployment benefits has faded as deadlines have been missed and the overall jobless rate has tumbled. Published May 29, 2014
White House backing away from Eric Shinseki
President Obama's faith in Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki appeared to be waning Thursday after a scathing report revealed cover-ups and poor care within the VA health system, and more than 100 lawmakers — including many politically vulnerable Democrats — have demanded the secretary's resignation. Published May 29, 2014