Duckworth: VA secretary’s Disneyland comment ‘tone-deaf’

Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) blasted Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald’s comparison of waiting for a VA appointment to waiting for a ride at Disneyland. 

“Comparing abhorrent wait times to a trip to Disneyland is unbelievably tone-deaf and hurtful to American heroes desperately in need of care,” said Duckworth, a combat veteran wounded in the Iraq War. “Our troops didn’t make us wait before putting their lives at risk to keep us safe, and it is simply not acceptable for the VA to make them wait for the care they have earned.”

Duckworth is running in a close race against incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk (R), who also jumped on McDonald’s remarks.

“The frustration, fear and helplessness our veterans feel waiting for months to get the health care they need is nothing compared to a day at Disneyland, and the Secretary should be embarrassed for making such a comparison,” he said in a statement. 

McDonald made the comments during a breakfast with reporters on Monday. 

“When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line?” McDonald said. “What’s important is, what’s your satisfaction with the experience.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) seized on McDonald’s comments and used them to bash Duckworth, who last week said she had secured a commitment from the VA secretary to address long wait times.  

“Either Tammy Duckworth told a tale to the people of Illinois or her award-winning ineffectiveness now includes failing to convince the VA secretary to address long wait lines,” the NRSC said in an emailed statement. 

Kirk alleged in his statement that a VA hospital in Hines, Ill., served food trays with cockroaches and had rooms covered in dangerous mold. 

Duckworth’s statement, sent Monday, said that she still receives her own healthcare from that hospital. She also defended her meeting with McDonald. 

“As I urged when I sat down with him last week, the Secretary needs to comprehensively address the VA’s systemic problems — and that means reducing wait times, improving care and increasing patient satisfaction,” she said. 

The VA has become a prominent issue in the Illinois race, one of several tight battles that will help decide which party controls the Senate next year.

Republicans have highlighted a lawsuit against Duckworth that went to a hearing earlier this month. The case, filed in 2009, is from two people who worked for Duckworth when she led the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. One of the former employees says she was fired after filing complaints against her supervisor, but her termination was later reversed after meeting with Duckworth.

The other employee claims she received a bad performance review and no raise after complaining about the same boss. She claims Duckworth told her to “do your job and keep your mouth shut” to keep her position.

Duckworth has previously denied that the employees were treated unfairly. Last week, an Illinois judge set an Aug. 15 trial date for the congresswoman’s case.

Lisa Hagen contributed