{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-johnson-statement-on-secret-wait-lists-at-colorado-va-facilities", "Gardner, Johnson Statement on Secret Wait Lists at Colorado VA Facilities", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statements on Thursday following a Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General report finding secret wait lists at a number of Colorado VA facilities. \u00a0Johnson and Gardner requested the inspector general investigation in September 2016.\r\n\u201cMy worst fears have been realized in this Inspector General\u2019s report that Chairman Johnson and I demanded,\u201d\u00a0Gardner said.\u00a0\u201cIt highlights even more VA mismanagement and lack of accountability in Colorado. This cannot happen again, and it\u2019s time for the VA to finally wake up and ensure our men and women are getting the best care possible. I will continue to work with Chairman Johnson to ensure the accountability that somehow the VA refuses to accept.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cPutting veterans on secret wait lists is not acceptable. The VA should implement changes to provide the highest quality care for our veterans and hold wrongdoers accountable. I thank Brian Smothers, the whistleblower who bravely came forward to shed a light on these unacceptable practices at the VA so they can be prevented in the future,\u201d Johnson said.\r\n\r\nThe VA IG report that senators Johnson and Gardner requested can be found here.\u00a0\r\n\r\nIn September 2016 senators Johnson and Gardner requested that the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General Michael Missal open an inquiry into possible wait lists that may have contributed to a veteran\u2019s suicide while waiting for post-traumatic stress disorder treatment at a Colorado Springs Veterans Affairs facility. A whistleblower alleged that the facility might have falsified the veteran\u2019s medical records following his death. The senators\u2019 September 2016 letter to Missal is available here.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-johnson-statement-on-secret-wait-lists-at-colorado-va-facilities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4129290357232094, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}