April 29, 2018

Duckworth Statement on Resignation of Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement regarding Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) Director Erica Jeffries’ decision to resign from her position in the midst of the ongoing deadly Legionnaires’ crisis at the Quincy Veterans Home:

“When gross mismanagement leads to fatal consequences, there must be accountability. However, it would be foolish to believe that the crisis in Quincy was caused by a single individual in the Rauner Administration. This comprehensive failure reflects an administration that appears more concerned with the quality of press coverage than quality of care in Quincy. After years of stubbornly pursuing ineffective stop-gap fixes, I hope the Governor will follow through in committing to invest the necessary resources in completely overhauling infrastructure at IVH Quincy. Congress recently passed a bipartisan funding bill that infuses hundreds of millions of dollars in extra funding for State Veterans home construction projects. Governor Rauner must now do his part and be held accountable for acting swiftly to put these funds to good use on behalf of Illinois’s Veterans.”

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