Veterans Affairs secretary won’t resign, is ‘angry’ over claims

(Reuters) – U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said on Wednesday he was \"angry\" over claims that as many as 40 people died while waiting for medical care in the veterans' healthcare system and wants a full investigation, but does not plan to resign. \"What I want veterans to know … this is a good, quality healthcare system, not perfect, and when we stumble across our imperfections we're going to do something about it, we get to the bottom of it, and to the best of our abilities assure it never happens again,\" Shinseki said in an interview on NBC News. They include Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, who said on Tuesday the Veterans Affairs Department needed a \"true transformation … from top to bottom.\" Veterans Affairs is the biggest U.S. healthcare system, with 1,700 hospitals, clinics and other facilities. The American Legion, the biggest U.S. veterans group, and Concerned Veterans for America called on Monday for Shinseki, a former Army general twice wounded in Vietnam, to step down.