Rick Perry Responds to Congressional Hearings on Drug Overprescriptions at VA Hospital

Rick Perry
Gage Skidmore

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is criticizing the Veterans Administration, a day after a Congressional hearing regarding the over-prescription of opiates to veterans at a VA Hospital in Tomah, Wisconsin.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee both held hearings in Tomah on Monday, concerned that allegations of patients being prescribed excessive overdoses of opiates to treat their chronic pain could be taking place at other VA facilities, NPR reports.

“Yesterday’s bipartisan Congressional hearing on the over-prescription of opiates at VA facilities shed light on a deadly issue our men and women in uniform and their families grapple with when they come home,” Perry says. “The fact remains that the VA system all too often fails our heroes, whether by ignoring the invisible scars many of them face after battle, or by taking too long to get them the services they need. America is better than that, and we need to work together to make sure we are doing everything we can to support our veterans.”

Perry is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having flown C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in Europe and the Middle East from 1972 to 1977.

At least three veterans’ deaths are being investigated to see if opiate overprescriptions from the Tomah VA played a role. The doctor in charge there, Dr. David Houlihan, and a nurse practitioner have been placed on administrative leave.

Follow Sarah Rumpf on Twitter @rumpfshaker.

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