Colwell: Walorski fierce on VA scandal
By Andy Marso
The Topeka-Capital Journal
Sunday, June 8, 2014

 

Jackie Walorski is now a national figure on a big national issue, the Veterans Administration.

The VA scandal has become the signature issue for the Republican congresswoman from Indiana's 2nd District due to a key committee assignment, a passion beyond politics on the issue and a return to pit-bull tenacity in pursuit of answers.

She drew attention as one of the first members of Congress to call for the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and as a House Veterans Affairs Committee member demanding answers.

Walorski has appeared in extensive interviews on CNN and Fox News, has delivered her party's weekly radio address on VA problems and was the subject of a front-page article in the Washington publication Roll Call.

Her passion showed during questioning of witnesses before the Veterans Affairs Committee, going beyond political talking points in emotionally citing the cancer death of her father, an Air Force veteran.

Roll Call reported how Walorski teared up while questioning Barry Coates, an Army veteran victimized by a VA delay that will be fatal. His potentially life-saving colonoscopy was delayed for more than a year before doctors finally found terminal cancer.

The Roll Call account:

"If I could change your circumstance, I would. I would do it in a heartbeat," she said, sniffling.

"My dad," she hesitated, her voice trembling, "was a veteran." The Indiana Republican paused again, sputtering -- "that died of colon cancer." She collected herself, shaking her head.

Her heated questioning of three VA representatives was tenacious.

"May I finish?" one witness asked after Walorski interrupted what she found to be an unsatisfactory answer.

"No," Walorski said. She had only five minutes for questioning.

This was more the Walorski of her days in the Indiana General Assembly, when she tenaciously went after Democrats in House leadership.

But that was an old image, one contributing to negative poll percentages. After losing a first race for Congress in 2010 to Democrat Joe Donnelly, also a strong advocate for veterans, Walorski softened her rhetoric, softened her image (though not abandoning her conservative views) and won in 2012 over Democrat Brendan Mullen, a veteran. She went to Washington preaching "working together" and "bipartisanship."

She voted for House Republican efforts time after time in the impossible political dream of repealing the Affordable Care Act, alias Obamacare. She joined in a demand for defunding the Affordable Care Act in continuing government funding and voted against a bipartisan compromise to reopen government and stave off U.S. financial default.

She spoke softly but wielded a partisan conservative stick.

Now, on the VA scandal, no more softer rhetoric.

More pit-bull tenacity. And why not? Her outrage is shared by most Americans,.

But Walorski refrained from flagrant politicization of the Shinseki resignation.

On a live CNN interview right after the resignation, Walorski was asked about "blasts" from Republican colleagues "celebrating what's happened today." They celebrated a slap at Obama, not a slap at VA neglect by presidents of both parties and Congress.

Celebration?

"We don't take this as a day of victory," Walorski responded. "This is a day of tragedy for America."

She said she takes it personally, and not just when seeing a Barry Coates and recalling what her father suffered after a similar diagnosis. She said it affects her personally every day as she hears more stories from Hoosier veterans about unacceptable delays in VA service.

The VA problem has been around for a long time, through Republican as well as Democratic administrations.

What now? Walorski, a national figure on this national issue, will have a voice in deciding.