House VA committee subpoenas Shinseki

Congress subpoenaed Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki on Thursday morning in relation to a widening scandal over medical care for veterans at a VA hospital in Phoenix.

The subpoena, issued after a unanimous vote by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, seeks emails and documents related to the possible destruction of a secret waiting list allegedly used by the Phoenix VA to conceal lengthy delays in medical treatment at its facilities.

{mosads}As many as 40 veterans may have died as a result of the deception, according to claims by retired physician Sam Foote.

Additional allegations of falsified records surfaced at a VA clinic in Fort Collin, Colo., earlier this week.

The scandal has sparked calls for Shinseki’s resignation from the American Legion and several congressional Republicans, including Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.), the party’s ranking member on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Shinseki has resisted these calls, telling The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, “I serve at the pleasure of the president.”

The White House has expressed support for Shinseki thus far, with press secretary Jay Carney saying Tuesday the administration trusted him to carry out a full investigation.

The VA has until May 19 to respond to the subpoena.