Army Generals Apologize for Walter Reed Failures

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• KWAME HOLMAN:

  This morning, a House Oversight Committee undertook Congress's first inquiry into the problems faced by soldiers receiving outpatient care at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and chose to hold its hearing at the medical center itself.

• REP. JOHN TIERNEY:

  This is absolutely the wrong way to treat our troops, and serious reforms need to happen immediately. Over the past month, the perception of Walter Reed has gone from the flagship of our military health system to a glaring problem. This subcommittee wants some answers.

• KWAME HOLMAN:

  One of the military's busiest and highest-profile medical facilities, Walter Reed came under wide-ranging criticism after a series of Washington Post reports last month detailed substandard living conditions and questionable outpatient care.

  In the wake of the reports, last week, Walter Reed's commander, Major General George Weightman, was fired, and Army Secretary Francis Harvey resigned under pressure from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

  And President Bush has ordered a review of conditions at the nation's military and veterans hospitals, inundated with injured troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

  John Tierney of Massachusetts chaired the oversight hearing.

• REP. JOHN TIERNEY:

  Where does the buck stop? There appears to be a pattern developing here that we've seen before: first, deny; then, try to cover up; then, designate a fall guy.

  In this case, I have concerns that the Army is literally trying to whitewash over the problems.

  I appreciate the first steps that have been taken to rectify the problems at Walter Reed and to hold those responsible accountable. We need a sustained focus here, and much more needs to be done.

  I also, unfortunately, feel that these problems go well beyond the walls of Walter Reed and that they are problems systemic throughout the military health care system. And as we send more and more troops into Iraq and Afghanistan, these problems are only going to get worse, not better, and we should be prepared to deal with them.