Shaun Rieley, policy analyst at Concerned Veterans for America, joined the Federalist Radio Hour to talk VA reform, political philosophy, the Iraq War.
Part of the VA scandal in 2014 included the deaths of veterans who died while they were on secret waiting lists for care. “Essentially you have a situation set up where there are perverse incentives and there different interests that are all looking out for themselves,” Rieley said.
There is a debate about whether veterans care should be pushed to privatization or kept to specialized veterans’ doctors. “Our intent is not to privatize the system, to blow up the system, our intent is to make sure veterans get the care that they need however that looks,” he said.
As a veteran of the Iraq War, Rieley said it taught him about US military force in the world and whether the goals of the war were really attainable. “A more prudential approach rather than sort of an absolute abstract approach to what the United States role needs to be is warranted,” he said.
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