Veterans Administration Secretary Robert McDonald Monday compared wait times for veterans at the VA to wait times for rides at Disney theme parks, and said that Disney doesn't keep track of wait times, so the Veterans Administration shouldn't either, according to the
Washington Examiner.
"When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what's important? What's important is, what's your satisfaction with the experience?" McDonald said.
Measurement, according to customer satisfaction, is his goal. "What I would like to move to, eventually, is that kind of measure."
McDonald said he did not believe measuring by "create date" was valid. Create date measuring starts counting from the day the veteran first calls to make an appointment.
USA Today reported in April that VA facilities in at least seven states had falsified how long patients had to wait.
Florida Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis said
in an address that Republicans in the House of Representatives are aiming to hold the VA accountable with new legislation.
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, criticized McDonald's comments in a tweet.
Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan spelled out his opinion about McDonald's Disney comment in a
post on his website. Ryan said, "There really are no words to describe the absurdity of this statement, but we'll give it a shot."
Ryan took the Obama administration to task, saying, "This kind of flippant comment shows just how seriously the Obama administration's VA is taking these life or death problems. And it's not acceptable."
The speaker, in his post, said the Republicans in the House of Representatives "won't stop fighting until all veterans can easily access the quality care they need and deserve. It's the least we can do."
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.