Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL02) announced today that she is dispatching two top members of her Washington, D.C. staff to Montgomery to “field information related to ongoing problems with the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS).”
Chief of Staff Stephen Boyd and Military Legislative Counsel Mac Tolar will work out of Rep. Roby’s Montgomery office for several days next week taking meetings with individuals wishing to convey specific information regarding the situation at CAVHCS.
Yellowhammer broke the news late Tuesday night that CAVHCS director James Talton had been untruthful about firing employees who falsified records to cover up long wait times at the VA.
“I believe I was misled,” Roby said in response to the news. “If a Member of Congress can’t get a straight answer from the VA, just think what our veterans go through on a daily basis.”
The inconsistencies in Talton’s story and the growing public outrage at the Central Alabama VA’s handling of the situation have now compelled Roby to dispatch her top advisers to gather information first-hand.
“The more that has been publicly revealed about the VA, the more my office hears from individuals who want to share information regarding the situation in Montgomery,” Roby said. “My District Director and our Alabama-based staff have seen an exceedingly high influx of comments and concerns. I am sending my Chief of Staff and my Military Legislative Counsel to Montgomery to provide a specific opportunity for face to face meetings with those who believe they have important information or documents about the VA. The purpose is to improve our understanding of what is happening so that I can conduct responsible oversight and take the necessary legislative steps to correct this problem.”
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