May 6, 2008 6:45 pm US/Eastern
Tempers Flare At Hearing On Vet Suicides
WASHINGTON (CBS News) ―
The name of the hearing said it all: "The truth about veteran suicides."
After playing clips of recent CBS News reports outlining attempts within the VA to "cover up" suicide data, Committee Chairman Bob Filner lashed out at the man in charge, Secretary James Peake, accusing the Department of Veterans Affairs of "criminal negligence," reports CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian.
"What we see is a pattern -- deny, deny, cover up, cover up," Filner said.
Filner's colleagues quickly followed, piling anger on top of disbelief.
With his embattled Director of Mental Health Dr. Ira Katz at his side, Secretary Peake presented a detailed series of charts and graphs generally backing CBS News suicide data.
"I've never had a concern with their overall numbers," Katz told the committee.
"We're as far from hiding information from the public as anyone I know," Peake said.
But several lawmakers weren't buying it, citing a Feb. 13 e-mail titled "Not for CBS News" where Katz appears to be trying to keep attempted suicide numbers quiet.
"That was very unfortunate," Katz said. "I deeply regret that subject line. I apologize for that."
Outside the hearing room we asked Peake to answer repeated calls from Congress for Katz's resignation.
"I do not have any intention of relieving Dr. Katz," Peake said.
"So Dr. Katz stays?" asked Keteyian.
"That's my plan absolutely," Peake answered.
The hearing opened with Chairman Filner showing two CBS News reports from April 21st and 25th of this year, detailing the VA's reluctance to provide information about veteran suicide.
CBS News first reported on the epidemic of suicide in the VA in November 2007, finding that over 6,000 veterans killed themselves in 2005 alone. That averages out to more than 120 per week. Katz immediately dismissed our report at a December 12th committee hearing, saying CBS's numbers were not "an accurate reflection of the rates."
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