Lawmaker Irked by VA E-mail

Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, reacted angrily to reports of an inter-office e-mail circulating through the Department of Veterans Affairs that suggested the agency would save both time and money if  VA case-workers stopped approving veterans’ claims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The e-mail was "disturbing and disappointing," Akaka said. In a May 16 letter to VA Secretary James B. McPeak, Akaka wrote that the VA "has a responsibility to take seriously the effects of combat trauma, yet there are some who fail to appreciate the significance of this responsibility." Akaka also asked McPeak to ensure that PTSD claims receive thorough examination, and said that he requested a full investigation of the e-mail, which was written by a staff psychologist at the Temple, Texas, VA Medical Center.