Baxter Bulletin from Mountain Home, Arkansas • Page A8

Page8ATHE BAXTER BULLETIN, Mountain Home, Ark.Thursday,September18,2014 The special House committee investigating the 2012 ter- or attack in Benghazi de- uted Wednesday in a less confrontational style than previous congressional hearings on the issue. The first public earing focused mostly on hether the State Depart- ent learned its lesson about security. Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, the Republican chairman, said the State Department has a history of resisting change. Democrats on the Benghazi committee largely agreed, which is why hearing lacked the drama of previous partisan fights over whether the attack on he U.S.

consulate in Libya as mishandled for political reasons. I his opening state- ent, Gowdy addressed latest criticism hat the special committee i unlikely to break new ground after two years of a nalysis. The special committee of seven Republicans and five Democrats was created in May by the GOP-led House majority. The panel follows 13 other congressional hearings held since the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks hat killed four Americans, i ncluding Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

A State Department wit- ess at the hearing said the agency has implemented a lmost every recommend ation from outside experts on how to prevent imilar attacks, but two other security professionals said diplomatic protection ranks too low on the priority list. Two witnesses who is- sued a separate report on best government-security practices said the State Dep artment is dragging its eet on some of their ideas, such as creating an under- ecretary for diplomatic ecurity. The lead Democrat on he panel, Rep. Elijah Cumm ings of Maryland, said after the hearing that the ommittee plans to the State feet to the and asked Gowdy to call a second hearing on the topic in December. Gowdy agreed.

CONSULATE ATTACK Benghazi committee debuts with less confrontation CAROLYN The House Select Committee on Benghazi met Wednesday, led by Rep. Trey Gowdy, (left) and Elijah ummings, the ranking Democrat on the committee. By MARY ORNDORFF TROYAN USA Today Adoc- tor who first exposed serious problems at the troubled Phoenix Veterans Affairs hospital said Wednesday that a report on patient eaths there is a that minimizes life- hreatening conduct by enior leaders at the hospital. Dr. Samuel Foote, a former clinic director for the VA in Phoenix, said a report by the inspector general appears designed to the scandal and protect its perpetrators rather than to provide the At best, report is a Foote told the House Veterans Affairs ommittee.

its worst, it is a feeble attempt at a cover-up. The report deliberately uses confusing language and math, invents new unrealistic standards of proof and makes misleading The Aug.26 report said orkers at a Phoenix VA hospital falsified waiting lists while their supervisors looked the other way even directed it, result- i ng in chronic delays for eterans seeking care. The inspector office identified 40 patients who died while awaiting a ppointments in Phoenix, but the report said offi- cials could not that delays in care caused the deaths. Acting Inspector General Richard Griffin denied that the report sugarcoated any information a bout the Phoenix hospital or the VA, and he disputed suggestions by several Republicans that the report was altered at the request of the VA. The sentence declaring that investigators could not hat delays in care caused any patient deaths was not included in a draft report, and some lawmakers have uggested that ffice added the language i an attempt to soften an explosive allegation that helped launch the scandal in the spring that delays i care may have resulted in patient deaths.

Griffin rejected that idea out of hand. sentence was inserted for clarity to summarize the results of our clinical case he said, adding that the hange was by his office on its own initiative. Rep. David Jolly, said language used in the report obscured the fact that delays in care likely contributed to the deaths of veterans. Jolly was referring to estimony by Dr.

John Daigh, assistant inspector general for health-care inspections, who said under uestioning that delays in are contributed to some atient deaths. Daigh stopped short of saying delays the deaths, saying the judicial ystem should make such adetermination. VETERANS AFFAIRS SCANDAL Ex-VA doctor: Phoenix report a MANUEL BALCE Department of Veterans Affairs Acting Inspector General Richard Griffin testifies during a House Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing on Wednesday on Capitol Hill in Washington. By MATTHEW DALY The Associated Press LAS VEGAS U.S. airmen taking their enlist- ent or officer appointment oaths can omit the words help me if they choose, Air Force officials said Wednesday.

The policy change comes after an atheist air- an in Nevada struck out the words on his Department of Defense reenlistment paperwork and ran afoul of a policy that pro- ibits omissions. The case went up to the Department Defense General Couns el, which issued an opinion saying the language could be left out if the air- an preferred. All of the ther military services ave allowed the alternate anguage for years. take any instance in which airmen report concerns regarding reli- ious freedom Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said in astatement. The case involved a technical sergeant who initially enlisted in 2003, efore he was an atheist, according to attorney Monica Miller of the American Humanist Association.

But his views hanged, and he crossed out the words help me when he filled out re- nlistment paperwork recently. was important from he standpoint of iller said of her client, ho she said wants to re- ain anonymous for fear of retaliation. take an oath for a God he believe ilitary officials said the unit was unable to process the documents because of the policy against omissions. Miller said he was told by his commanders Aug. 25 that must swear to God or leave the service.

The humanist group sent letters to the Air Force threatening to sue if he airman re-enlist by Sept.19 without say- i ng help me was informed of the policy change Wednesday, Miller said, and is hat his rights have really een US Air Force: help me in oath is optional By MICHELLE RINDELS The Associated Press FREE HEARING TEST by Appointment Only! Hurry! Appointments are limited! Sophisticated technology in FREE HEARING TESTS! accept CareCredit, Humana, Cigna, United Health Care, and for teachers, state, and city employees. The tests have been arranged for everyone who suspects they are losing their hearing. Such persons generally say they can hear but cannot understand words. Testing with the latest computerized electronic equipment will indicate whether you can be helped. Everyone, especially those over 50, should have an electronic hearing test at least once a year.

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