WASHINGTON, March 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., Monday asked whether the Army is purposefully denying disability benefits to injured soldiers.
At a hearing into conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Lynch noted the Army approved 4 percent of disability claims, compared to 35 percent by the U.S. Marine Corps and 24 percent by the U.S. Air Force.
"Our job today is to make this right," Lynch said after hearing testimony. "This is not just about doing the right thing ... but to make sure this process works."
Lynch said the recent reports of trouble at Walter Reed have destroyed the confidence military personnel have had that transfer to the hospital would me everything was going to be OK.
U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., discounted claims from hospital officials and Pentagon higher-ups that they had no knowledge of problems at Walter Reed, citing numerous articles in various publications over the years.
Waxman said the committee has been receiving complaints about VA hospitals around the country.
"Walter Reed is just the tip," he said.
