WASHINGTON, D.C. – On his weekly press call today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) told reporters he was pressing officials at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (KC VAMC) for information that the facility had an “unauthorized” waiting list for our nation’s heroes.

Less than three hours later, officials at the KC VAMC admitted to Blunt’s staff that the facility did, in fact, have an “unauthorized” list that compromised care for area veterans.

“These so-called ‘unauthorized wait lists’ for America’s heroes are simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Blunt, who serves on the defense appropriations and authorizing committees. “I’m going to do everything I can to ensure this stops immediately. Our veterans should not be forced to wait for care.”

Blunt’s office recently received a letter from the Director of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Heartland Network (VISN) 15 detailing several Missouri facilities where veterans waited for care for longer than 90 days. The letter noted two facilities in VISN-15 had “unauthorized lists” that “placed veterans at risk.” One of those locations was confirmed in Wichita, Kan. Blunt confirmed the other location is the KC VAMC.

Last week, Blunt visited the John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. and the Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Mo. On May 12, 2014, Blunt and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (Mo.) sent a letter to the VA Secretary and the VA St. Louis Health Care System demanding answers regarding serious allegations of delays and inefficiencies at the John Cochran VA. Blunt’s office has not received a response regarding the John Cochran allegations to date.