Sen. Carper Statement on General Eric Shinseki’s Resignation

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) delivered this statement upon hearing the president accepted the resignation of General Eric Shinseki as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

“Secretary Shinseki committed his life in service to our country, first as a soldier in Vietnam and most recently as an advocate for our nation’s returning soldiers as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Like the president, I regret the circumstances that led to Secretary Shinseki’s resignation, but ultimately I understand why a change of leadership is needed in this time of urgency. In adversity lies opportunity, and I’m urging the president to send a nomination to the Senate as soon as possible to fix these problems once and for all.

“Today is the original Memorial Day, when we honor those who gave their lives in defense of our country. It’s serves as a solemn reminder for me that the best way we can honor those servicemen and women is by improving the way we treat the veterans who are living. Everything I do I know we can do better, and we all must do better to serve our veterans.”