A group of House Republican legislators met at the capitol in Springfield today to discuss the critical mismanagement of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs under the leadership of the Pritzker administration.

State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur), a veteran of over 20 years of military service, said the first responsibility of a leader is to protect those under his command. But since the outbreak of the pandemic at the Illinois Veteran’s homes, all we have heard from the Prizker administration is excuse after excuse and zero action to protect the lives of the veterans. 

COVID-19 claimed the lives of 36 residents of the LaSalle Veterans Home last fall.   But a report found those deaths could have been prevented.  According to a scathing Illinois Department of Human Services Inspector General report released late last month, the lack of COVID plan and failures in leadership contributed to a big outbreak.

Last week, the House Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing at the capitol to take testimony from members of the administration, but they are still looking for answers that weren’t given at that hearing.