Cassidy Calls VA Scandal “Maddening”

U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy said the controversy surrounding the Veteran's Administration was "maddening," and someone needed to be held accountable.

Published news reports revealed President Barack Obama was briefed as far back as 2008 about "inaccuracies" within the VA. The president seemed to shrug off accusations of incompetence on the part of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, saying, "He has put his heart and his soul into this thing and taken it very seriously."

"Don't just pretend that someone is doing a good job when they're doing poorly," Cassidy said. "There needs to be accountability. Frankly, again, it starts with the president. Maybe if he indicts Shinseki, he feels like he's indicting himself."

The White House has asked for patience as the investigation into the VA continues--a process that could take up to a year.

"You can do a spot check on burning issues across the country and immediately come to a sense of it," Cassidy said. "It's only if you want to let the issue die down do you decide to wait for a report for a year."

To listen to the full interview with Cassidy, click on the 'Play' button below.