Obama ‘deadly serious’ about shrinking veterans benefits backlog: Aide

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki (L) and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (R) appear a news conference on …President Barack Obama is "deadly serious" about wiping out the massive backlog in veterans' disability benefits claims by 2015, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday.

"We believe very strongly that this is something that requires commitment and dedication every day," Carney told reporters at his daily briefing. "The president is deadly serious about the need to deal with this problem. He's made clear that he expects results."

The problem predates Obama's arrival in office. But solutions have been slow in coming. According to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 865,265 veterans had disability claims pending at the Veterans Administration as of May 25. And 575,825 had been waiting for at least 125 days. It's an issue that has attracted attention from various quarters -- including a devastating report from The Daily Show.

"Too many veterans are waiting far too long to receive the benefits that they have earned and deserve," Carney said. "And it's unacceptable." The spokesman noted that Obama has directed Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to eliminate the backlog by 2015, and described the issue as being "monitored regularly here at the White House."

Carney's comments came after a veterans advocate told the ABC/Yahoo News program "Top Line" that Obama needed to "step up" and offer a plan for reducing the backlog.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-deadly-serious-shrinking-veterans-benefits-backlog-aide-185532223.html