WA Democratic Senator upset after VA is ‘no show’ at veterans round table

This state’s senior Democratic Senator is crying foul after the VA was a no-show at her veteran’s event in Ballard. Now, she’s demanding answers.

Senator Patty Murray says she is “furious” after the Veterans Administration refused to send a representative to her roundtable on female veterans.

So angry, she dashed off a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding to know why.

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KIRO 7 sent emails and left messages for the Veterans Administration for their response.

The roundtable about female veterans went on as planned at a Seattle-area VFW hall this afternoon, without anyone from the VA.

It is her signature cause, the plight of veterans in the U.S. Armed Forces. And since she was elected to the U.S. Senate some 32 years ago, Patty Murray has come back home to Washington State to talk to local veterans about their most important issues.

“I have done ‘Veteran Town Halls’ all over the state, a lot of times,” Murray said. “Dozens of times.”

And always, she says, the Veterans Administration has been at the table, too, “so that they can get the information they need and we can share that.”

But this time, with the plight of female veterans on the agenda, the VA was a no show.

“And I’m really furious,” she said.

When pressed for what was said, Murray said, “They would not participate.”

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This is not the first time this blue state has been denied help from the Trump Administration. Just last week, FEMA denied the state’s request for help repairing $34 million in damages caused during last November’s deadly bomb cyclone. The state is appealing.

For her part, Murray sent a blistering letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins demanding to know why the VA skipped this roundtable for the first time in her decades-long career.

“To what do you attribute this?” Murray was asked. “I attribute it to an administration who has gone inside itself and figured they do not need the input of the members of Congress or their constituents,” she said. “I’m one thing. But not to hear from veterans is really outrageous.”

VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz released a statement, saying, “Senator Murray – and all members of Congress – are welcome to visit VA facilities. But the department doesn’t typically host lawmakers’ events at VA facilities so as not to impact service to Veterans. We have spoken with Sen. Murray’s office and made this clear.”