Wa Times on hearing: “Why Does the VA Continue to Give a Suicide-Inducing Drug to Veterans with PTSD?"

Yesterday, the House VA committee held hearings on reports that the Veterans Administration took too long to warn PTSD vets taking part in a smoking cessation drug test about possible side effects. In the course of the investigation, the Inspector General also discovered reports of falsified records. The conservative Washington Times reports in VA faults self over Chantix test; Peake awaits review, vows accountability:

The congressional hearing stemmed from an investigation by The Washington Times and ABC News that found that the VA took at least three months before it began to alert 245 veterans taking the drug about the possible dangerous side effects.

In the meantime, decorated Iraq war veteran James Elliott suffered a mental breakdown that resulted in a showdown with police in which he was nearly shot. Nearly 38 suicides in the U.S. have been reported in conjunction with Chantix prescriptions, and Mr. Elliott blames the drug for his mental relapse.

This sort of hearing seems to be a far too regular thing, and the Times reports makes it sound as if committee members on both sides of the aisle are losing patience:

But Rep. Bob Filner, California Democrat and committee chairman, questioned the validity of the research and said the program should be terminated immediately.

"Your faith in the bureaucracy is overwhelming to me," Mr. Filner told Mr. Peake. "A bureaucracy studying itself does not give confidence to the public."

"Stop it, is what I advise you," Mr. Filner said.

Mr. Peake said one of the reasons for the delay in the warnings was that different branches sent the letter to patients at different times.

"This is a major problem," said Rep. Steve Buyer, Indiana Republican and ranking member of the committee.

Added Rep. Tim Walz, Minnesota Democrat: "If corners were cut or protocol skipped, it's tragic."

Mr. Filner summed up the thoughts of most on the panel: "The loss of any veterans to suicide would be a tragedy. That's why I fail to understand why the VA didn't act."

The Webcast for yesterday's hearing “Why Does the VA Continue to Give a Suicide-Inducing Drug to Veterans with PTSD?” is not yet up, but we'll provide a link when it is available.

Supporters of Swift Boat donor and endorsed GOP congressional Candidate Brian Davis disparage Walz's work for veterans, but hearings like these show the need to re-elect Walz, a champion for all of America's vets.

Update: we just found some YouTubes of Elliot's opening and the representative's reactions.

Photo: Decorated Iraq War vet James Elliott testifies before the House VA Committee. Photo swiped from the Times.