{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-manchin-demands-accountability-in-veterans-affairs-committee-hearing", "ICYMI: Manchin Demands Accountability In Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing", "2019-11-07", "2019", "2019-11", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 07, 2019\n\t\t\t ICYMI: Manchin Demands Accountability In Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C.  During a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) called for accountability in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Specifically, his frustration with the ongoing criminal investigations into the Clarksburg and Beckley VA Medical Centers.\r\nTo watch his remarks, click here.\r\nBelow is a timeline of Senator Manchin's efforts to get answers for these families.\r\n \r\nOn Thursday, July 5th, 2018 Senator Manchin's office was notified by the VA Inspector General that at least nine in-patients Veterans at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center had been diagnosed with significant hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) of unclear cause over the past 9 months, and that they had opened a medical and criminal investigation into the matter.\r\nOn Wednesday, July 10th, 2018 Senator Manchin sent a letter to then-Acting Secretary of the VA Peter O'Rourke expressing serious concerns about the unexplained episodes of hypoglycemia at the Clarksburg VA. He also clearly stated that he expected VA leadership at every level to cooperate fully with the IG investigation.\r\nIn August, retired Army Sergeant Felix McDermott's autopsy report was made public and revealed that the suspicious cases of hypoglycemia in 2018 were likely homicide \r\nSenator Manchin called on IG and FBI to finish the investigation as soon as possible and met with IG Missal and Attorney General Barr.\r\nHe visited the Clarksburg VA and met with Director Snider and staff demanding answers while informing public through press conference at Clarksburg VA.\r\nSenator Manchin's office has been working with potential victims' families, taking their information and getting authorization forms and then sharing that with VA OIG so they can properly communicate with these families.\r\nHe wrote a letter to his colleagues in the Senate and publicly called on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to conduct an investigation and hearings.\r\nHis staff sent RFI to OIG and FBI asking for the resources required to complete investigation within 30 days. OIG responded that they have all the resources they need.\r\nOn 23 and 24 September Senator Manchin's staff met with VA and VA OIG for a briefing on policies and procedures that impacted the Clarksburg case\r\nOn 25 September during Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, he called again on SVAC to continue investigation and get to bottom of what happened\r\nOn 25 September, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of WV, Bill Powell, asked Senator Manchin to delay any Senate investigation until the criminal investigation is complete so as not to interfere with the ongoing investigation\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 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.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-manchin-demands-accountability-in-veterans-affairs-committee-hearing"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8935709483921528, "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"}