Senators in deal on veterans health scandal; 18 deaths confirmed

Credit: Reuters/Samantha Sais

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) listens to veterans at a community forum over recent allegations of gross mismanagement and neglect of veterans health care in Phoenix, Arizona May 9, 2014.

The legislative proposal, which must be voted on by the full Senate, is aimed at ensuring immediate care for veterans while giving the Obama administration greater authority to fire employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The proposal was reached after rare bipartisan negotiations led by McCain, a Republican, and Bernard Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

'We have worked out all of our differences,' McCain told reporters outside the Senate. He said the details of the pact would be announced later on Thursday. A spokesman for Sanders confirmed there was a deal.

It was unclear how soon the Democratic-majority Senate could vote on the proposal. It also would have to clear the Republican-run House of Representatives before it could be sent to President Obama for signing into law.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned last week amid a scandal over widespread schemes to mask the delays faced by veterans seeking healthcare appointments at veterans' facilities.

Senators had rushed to craft legislation as soon as possible to try to fix the healthcare delays as well as hold accountable those responsible for them. In Phoenix, where schemes to cover up the delays surfaced earlier this spring, doctors said that 40 veterans had died while waiting for care.

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Bill Trott)

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