#dc808

Politico has this story. Excerpt:

More Americans blame Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki than anyone else for the problems with patient care, a new poll says.

According to a new CBS News poll, 33 percent of Americans said the secretary is most to blame for the VA scandal, while 28 percent put the fault on local VA hospitals and 17 percent primarily blame President Barack Obama.

The poll comes after the president met with his secretary and publicly addressed the scandal at the White House on Wednesday morning. Obama called reports that 40 veterans may have died waiting for health care in the Phoenix VA system “disgraceful” and vowed to get to the bottom of the problem. ...

Read Civil Beat's Hawaii Lawmakers Speak Out on Shinseki and VA Medical Care Debacle.

Photo: Sec. Eric Shinseki, March 2011. (AFGE)

The Hill has this story. Excerpt:

The House on Thursday passed the most sweeping changes to the country’s intelligence operations in over a decade, voting to limit the National Security Agency’s ability to snoop on communications.

The USA Freedom Act, which passed 303-121, had run into opposition from some of the NSA's biggest critics, who warned that the legislation had been gutted in recent weeks. Fifty-one Republicans and 70 Democrats voted against the bill. ...

U.S. Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard were in the minority.

"While I was happy to be a cosponsor of the original version of the USA Freedom Act, I could not vote for this twice watered-down version of the bill,” Hanabusa said in a press release. “Though the original legislation intended to end sweeping surveillance programs, this version leaves open the opportunity to continue mass surveillance of Americans on a smaller scale."

“The USA FREEDOM Act I voted against today is a far cry from the legislation I co-sponsored, and does not rein in the bulk collection of our personal information — in fact, it does the opposite,” Gabbard said in a press release. “While proponents claim the bill does end some bulk collection, the fact is that it still allows the government to obtain innocent Americans’ personal data, to include phone and email data."

The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate.

Photo: U.S. Capitol. (Sean Hayford O'Leary)

FiveThirtyEight has this story on how only 11 states have ever elected a female governor or senator.

Hawaii has elected one each — Linda Lingle and Mazie Hirono, respectively.

There are 14 states, the report states, that have never elected a woman to serve as a U.S. senator or governor. 

Photo: Map. (FiveThirtyEight)

The U.S. House of Representatives today approved by voice vote a resolution that condemns the abduction of female students in Nigeria by Boko Haram.

House Resolution 573 was introduced by Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and had 16 original co-sponsors including Colleen Hanabusa.

“These young women were kidnapped because they wanted to get an education,” Hanabusa said in a press release. “The ability to improve one’s life through education is a basic human right that must be protected around the world. In particular, women who work to obtain an education should not have to live in fear, and it is an offense against human dignity that they would be made hostages to ignorance."

The resolution calls on President Barack Obama to provide to Congress a "comprehensive strategy to counter the growing threat of terrorism perpetrated by groups in West Africa, the Sahel and North Africa that are affiliated and associated with al-Qaida."

Photo: UH West Oahu Campus grand opening, August 2012. (U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa)

U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Mark Udall (D- Colo.) have introduced the Social Security and Marriage Equality (SAME) Act of 2014 to "make sure all legal marriages are treated equally by the Social Security Administration."

The bill "would ensure that same-sex spouses receive the same spousal benefits afforded to married, heterosexual couples," according to a press release from the office of Sen. Brian Schatz, who is one of the bill's five co-sponsors.

"Social Security is a vital lifeline for so many seniors and our bill will make sure that everyone is treated equally, providing Social Security spousal benefits to those legally  eligible, regardless of who they love and where they live," said Schatz.

Photo: Sen Brian Schatz at the CNHA Convention, September 2013. (Sen. Brian Schatz)

Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Chris Stewart (R-Utah), both veterans, have introduced the Veterans TRICARE Choice Act of 2014, H.R. 4682.

According to Gabbard's office, the bill would provide TRICARE-eligible veterans the ability to contribute to a Health Savings Account program to help pay for medical costs and save for future medical expenses.  

"TRICARE-eligible veterans who have served their country honorably are denied access to other health plans unless they permanently opt out of TRICARE," Gabbard said in a press release. "This outdated policy does not serve our veterans or their families, who have sacrificed greatly."

Photo: Reps. Chris Stewart and Tulsi Gabbard, May 20, 2014. (Rep. Tulsi Gabbard)

A blog for The Hill has this report. Excerpt:

The National Museum of the American Indian is paying tribute to the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, a proud Pacific Islander who served as one of the founding directors for the interactive exhibition hall, as part of its “Living Aloha” festival.

Just don’t expect too big of a production if you visit.

Upon entering the funky, four-story structure, patrons are handed a snazzy brochure retracing the steps of the iconic Hawaii Democrat through the years. ...

An all-day symposium at the museum honoring Inouye was held last week. 

Photo: Dan Inouye. (National Museum of the American Indian)

Politico has this story. Excerpt:

Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole called for a “shakeup” at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Monday, but defended Secretary Eric Shinseki’s leadership at the agency amid reports that VA hospitals have concealed months-long wait lists for veterans seeking care.

Dole, who was the last World War II veteran to be nominated for the presidency in 1996, said in an interview that he “feels strongly that there needs to be a shakeup in the VA.” He declined to join other Republicans who have called on Shinseki, a retired four-star general, to resign.

“He’s a decorated war veteran. He understands veterans. He’s dealt with thousands of servicemen. I think if he moves quickly and firmly against those in the field who caused the problems, he’ll be all right,” Dole said in a conversation at his law office in downtown Washington. ...

Photo: Bob Dole in 2011. (Washington Oxi Day)