US Sen. Bob Casey Joins Call For Veterans' Health Care Accountability
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Yesterday, Pennsylvania's Republican US senator weighed in on problems with the Veterans Administration (see related story).
Today, it was Democratic US senator Bob Casey's turn.
Appearing with a pair of US military veterans today in front of the war memorial at Amtrak's 30th Street Station, in West Philadelphia, Casey (at lectern in photo) said the average time for the VA to process disability claims in Pennsylvania is now 300 days.
He has introduced legislation called the "21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act" to speed the process.
"It's really just asking the VA to do what they're supposed to be doing anyway," Casey said.
His legislation comes on the heels of revelations about wait times for appointments and treatment at VA medical centers, and joins a flurry of other bills aimed at that problem, including one that US Sen. Pat Toomey announced he'd be offering.
Casey says he's open to supporting Toomey's bill, asserting this is an issue that begs for bipartisanship.
"Veterans don't have time for folks like me and folks that work in Washington to be fighting with each other," Casey said. "We need to speak with one voice."
Casey says it's time for more than making speeches and pointing fingers.