Congressman Carson on the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki

WASHINGTON – Congressman André Carson issued this statement following the announcement that President Obama has accepted the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki:

"I want to commend Secretary Shinseki for his lifelong service to our nation, our service members and our veterans. But despite his honorable service, I believe his resignation is appropriate. We need to clear the air and move toward long-term solutions to the systemic problems within the VA that have resulted in substandard service for the men and women who have served our country in uniform.

"I hope this change in leadership will bring about a new era for the VA. I look forward to working with officials there and my colleagues in Congress to drastically improve the delivery of health care and benefits for veterans and to make sure that these problems never occur again."