VA chief: 1,000 employees could face disciplinary action

As many as 1,000 employees in the country’s embattled veterans office could face disciplinary action, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald told CBS’s 60 Minutes.

The VA chief said he is taking “aggressive, expeditious disciplinary action, consistent with the law” against employees who are responsible for long wait times and poor healthcare treatment for veterans across the country, according to an advanced transcript obtained by the Associated Press.

{mosads}McDonald’s remarks, which are scheduled to air Sunday, do not offer a timeline for the disciplinary actions, but mark a new approach for the troubled department.

The VA chief has previously said that about 40 employees would face penalties – up to and including firings – for the department-wide healthcare scandal.

Some lawmakers have criticized the department for acting too slowly in disciplining employees, but McDonald said he and other officials have had to follow the legal process.

“We propose the action, the judge rules and the individual has a time to appeal,” he told CBS.

About 100 days into his term, McDonald has also recently delivered a bout of good news for the department. He announced last week that wait times for veterans healthcare have dropped by almost 20 percent since May.