VA secretary touts reforms, pushes back against criticism during Cobb address

CUMBERLAND — During remarks to the Cobb Chamber on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins said he is working hard to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs. Collins said as secretary he has worked to reform the VA, including opening more clinics, improving community care partnerships, reducing disability claim backlogs and addressing homelessness among veterans. kAmw6 2=D@ 5676?565 E96 'p 282:?DE 56EC24E@CD[ D2J:?8 DF49 4C:E:4:D> 56>@C2=:K65 6>A=@J66D 2?5 AC@>:D65 E92E E96 56A2CE>6?E :D :>AC@G:?8] p55:E:@?2==J[ 96 D2:5 E92E 96 76=E 4C:E:4:D>D @7 E96 'p 7@4FD65 @? E96 HC@?8 >62DFC6D @7 DF446DD]k^Am kAm“'6E6C2?D 4@>6 7:CDE 2E E96 'p[ H6 AFE G6E6C2?D 7:CDE[” r@==:?D D2:5] “x7 :E 96=AD E96 G6E6C2?[ H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 5@ :E] x7 :E 5@6D?’E 96=A E96 G6E6C2?[ H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 492?86 2?5 7:8FC6 @FE 9@H :E 42? 96=A 2 G6E6C2?]”k^Am k9amr@==:?D D2:5 'p 92D 9@FD65 G6E6C2?D[ 7@F89E 7@C 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6k^9am kAmr@==:?D[ H9@ H2D 2AA@:?E65 :? u63CF2CJ a_ad 3J !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A[ D2:5 E96 'p 92D >256 3:8 DEC:56D E@H2C5 :>AC@G6>6?E F?56C 9:D =6256CD9:A] p>@?8 9:D 244@>A=:D9>6?ED[ r@==:?D E@FE65 9@FD:?8 G6E6C2?D 2?5 5676?5:?8 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6 AC@8C2>D]k^Am kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 'p’D H63D:E6[ E96 56A2CE>6?E A6C>2?6?E=J 9@FD65 ?62C=J da[___ 9@>6=6DD G6E6C2?D :? 7:D42= J62C a_ad[ H9:49 C2? 7C@> ~4E] `[ a_ac[ E@ $6AE] b_[ a_ad] %92E’D 23@FE c[___ >@C6 G6E6C2?D 9@FD65 E92? E96 AC6G:@FD 7:D42= J62C]k^Am kAmr@==:?D 2=D@ @G6CD2H E96 =2F?49 @7 E96 'p’D v6EE:?8 '6E6C2?D @77 E96 $EC66ED x?:E:2E:G6 :? |2J a_ad[ H9:49 :>A=6>6?E65 565:42E65 @FEC6249 6G6?ED E@ =@42E6 9@>6=6DD G6E6C2?D 2?5 4@??64E E96> H:E9 9@FD:?8[ 962=E942C6 D6CG:46D 2?5 @E96C 36?67:ED] %96 AC@8C2> 96=A65 >@G6 23@FE ad[___ G6E6C2?D :?E@ A6C>2?6?E 6>6C86?4J[ EC2?D:E:@?[ @C A6C>2?6?E 9@FD:?8[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 56A2CE>6?E ?F>36CD]k^Am kAm“(6 2C6 C6249:?8 @FE E@ 2?J3@5J E92E’D H:==:?8 E@ 96=A >J G6E6C2?D[” r@==:?D D2:5] “(6 92G6 =@@<65 2E :E 7C@> 2 A6CDA64E:G6 @7 D2J:?8[ ‘w@H 5@ H6 96=An’”k^Am kAmr@==:?D 2=D@ E@=5 2EE6?566D E92E 96’D H@C<65 E@ 5676?5 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6 AC@8C2>D]k^Am kAmr@>>F?:EJ 42C6 :D H96? E96 'p 2==@HD 6=:8:3=6 G6E6C2?D E@ C646:G6 42C6 2E 2AAC@G65 962=E942C6 AC@G:56CD @FED:56 @7 E96 56A2CE>6?E’D @H? ?6EH@C< 2E E96 'p’D 6IA6?D6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 'p H63D:E6]k^Am kAmw@H6G6C[ 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6 92D 72465 4C:E:4:D> @G6C 4@@C5:?2E:@? :DDF6D[ D=@H C6:>3FCD6>6?E E:>6D 2?5 F?6G6? BF2=:EJ @7 42C6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= x?DE:EFE6 @7 w62=E9] $@>6 4C:E:4D 92G6 DF886DE65 E92E E96 'p :?DE625 7@4FD @? 6IA2?5:?8 :ED @H? D6CG:46D[ C2E96C E92? 25>:?:DE6C:?8 D6CG:46D E9C@F89 @FED:56 AC@G:56CD]k^Am kAmr@==:?D[ E9@F89[ D2:5 E92E C65F4:?8 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6 H@F=5 36 6BF:G2=6?E E@ 4FEE:?8 G6E6C2?D’ 36?67:ED]k^Am kAm“%96C6’D 2 >@G6>6?E 2>@?8 D@>6 :? (2D9:?8E@? E92E D2JD[ ‘(6==[ H6 5@?’E ?665 2D >F49 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6[ H6 ?665 E@ 8C@H E96 'p[’” r@==:?D D2:5] “(92E E96J’C6 24EF2==J D2J:?8 :D E92E E96J 2C6 4FEE:?8 36?67:ED[ 2?5 x 5@?’E E9:?< E96C6’D 2?J3@5J :? E9:D C@@> E92E H2?ED E@ 4FE 36?67:ED E@ E96 G6E6C2?D H9@ D6CG65 FD]”k^Am kAmr@==:?D 2=D@ 2C8F65 E92E C65F4:?8 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6 4@F=5 6?52?86C CFC2= 4@>>F?:E:6D[ H9@D6 5@4E@CD 2?5 9@DA:E2=D @7E6? C6=J @? C6G6?F6 7C@> 'p\4@G6C65 A2E:6?ED]k^Am kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ ?F>36CD 7C@> E96 'p[ 4@>>F?:EJ 42C6 A2:5 >@C6 E92? Sbe 3:==:@? E@ =@42= 962=E942C6 AC@G:56CD :? 7:D42= J62C a_ad[ H:E9 >F49 @7 E92E >@?6J 8@:?8 E@H2C5 CFC2= 2C62D H96C6 23@FE 2 BF2CE6C @7 2== G6E6C2?D C6D:56]k^Am k9amr@==:?D 9:ED 324< 2E 'p 4C:E:4:D>k^9am kAmr@==:?D 5676?565 E96 'p 282:?DE 4C:E:4:D>D 7C@> A@=:E:4:2?D 2?5 E96 AC6DD[ D2J:?8 E9@D6 4@>>6?ED 7@4FD @? E96 HC@?8 >6EC:4D 2?5 @7E6? 5:DC682C5 :>AC@G6>6?ED :? E96 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am kAm“(96? x 8@E E96C6…x 7@F?5 2 DJDE6> E92E H2D 32D:42==J ;F5865 @? 9@H >F49 >@?6J :E 8@E 7C@> r@?8C6DD 2?5 9@H >2?J A6@A=6 :E 6>A=@J65[” r@==:?D D2:5] “xE H2D ?@E C62==J 4@?46C?65 23@FE[ ‘pC6 H6 24EF2==J 8:G:?8 @FC G6E6C2?D H92E E96J 56D6CG6n’ xE H2D >@C6 @7[ ‘pC6 H6 AC@E64E:?8 @FC @C82?:K2E:@?n’”k^Am kAm%96 56A2CE>6?E D9@F=5 :?DE625 36 ;F5865 @? :ED H2:E E:>6D[ BF2=:EJ @7 D6CG:46 2?5 C6DA@?D:G6?6DD E@ 4=2:>D[ r@==:?D D2:5]k^Am kAmr@==:?D D2:5 E92E H2:E E:>6D 92G6 564C62D65 2?5 324<=@8D 92G6 D9CF?< D:?46 96 E@@< @77:46] p44@C5:?8 E@ r@==:?D[ H2:E E:>6D 7@C 42C6 92G6 564C62D65 7C@> 2? 2G6C286 @7 `g 3FD:?6DD 52JD E@ 7:G6 3FD:?6DD 52JD E92?AC@G6 4@>>F?:42E:@? H:E9 AC@G:56CD]k^Am kAmp55:E:@?2==J[ E96 'p’D 324<=@8 @7 5:D23:=:EJ 4=2:>D 92D 366? C65F465 7C@> ae_[___ 4=2:>D E@ ed[___] p 4=2:> :D 4@?D:56C65 324<=@8865 H96? :E’D 366? H2:E:?8 7@C 2 C6DA@?D6 7@C >@C6 E92? `ad 52JD]k^Am kAmuC66>2? $>:E9[ 2 49:67 H2CC2?E @77:46C :? E96 pC>J H9@ 2EE6?565 %9FCD52J’D =F?496@?[ D2:5 :E H2D 277:C>:?8 E@ 962C 7C@> r@==:?D[ 2?5 E92E 96 D66D E2?8:3=6 492?86 :? 'p C6DA@?D:G6?6DD 2?5 D6CG:46]k^Am kAm“xE 6?4@FC2865 >6 E92E 96’D C62==J ECJ:?8[” $>:E9 D2:5] “%96 ?6HD 5@6D?’E D9@H :E[ 3FE 2E =62DE H6 42? D66 96’D C62==J ECJ:?8]”k^Am