Hearings on conditions at Walter Reed set to begin
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By Daniel Barlow Vermont Press Bureau - Published: February 27, 2007
MONTPELIER – Rep. Peter Welch said Monday that he hopes to question top Pentagon officials next month during a special subcommittee hearing into reported poor conditions at some Walter Reed outpatient facilities.
Welch, who called for committee hearings last week into reports of filthy living conditions at one of the facilities, said there needs to be accountability for the problems when the subcommittee convenes on March 5.
"The cost of war has to include the cost of taking care of the soldiers who fight in it," Welch said during a phone interview Monday afternoon, who added that top officials would be testifying under oath. "This is an issue that all 435 members of Congress are concerned about."
The hearings on conditions at Walter Reed's so-called Building 18 in Washington, D.C., where veterans receive long term care, will occur before the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, a branch of the Oversight and Government Reform committee.
The proceedings are likely to occur on the grounds of the medical center in Washington, D.C. so that members can observe the facilities and speak with wounded soldiers and staff, according to Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass, who chairs the subcommittee.
Tierney said during a phone interview Monday evening that he is concerned that the problems are "systemic." Two panels will probably be hearing testimony, he explained, with one focused on "who knew what when" and the other looking at the scope of the problem.
"We haven't scheduled them yet, but there will be subsequent hearings on this," said Tierney, who praised Welch for "being one of the first ones" calling for an investigation. "This is a problem that has to be solved."
Welch made the announcement on the upcoming hearing while touring the Veterans Administration's outpatient facility at Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester on Monday.
Last week he had called on Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, to hold the hearing.
What Welch found at the Colchester facility was far from the horrors described in last week's Washington Post article, which revealed severe structural problems, mold infestation and animal waste littering the hallways.
"The facility here in Colchester is very clean, very well run and has a very competent staff," Welch said. "I spoke with veterans and support staff and all I heard was praise."
Veterans were also concerned with President Bush's proposed VA budget cuts, Welch added, which begin with a 2 percent cut in 2009 and continue with proposed spending freezes. Welch said more funds will be needed to address the health of soldiers returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We are going to be seeing a surge in health care needs in the next several years," he said.
One day after the House subcommittee hearing, the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a similar hearing on the Walter Reed problems. Tierney said he did not know if the two probes would cover different areas.
Contact Daniel Barlow at Daniel.barlow@rutlandherald.com.
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