WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) – ranking member and chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) – today released the following statements regarding Acting Under Secretary for Health Dr. Richard Stone’s resignation from his post at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA):

“Dr. Stone always put veterans first, and I greatly appreciate his exemplary leadership of the VHA,” said Sen. Moran. “I am confident that his guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic saved lives and has put the VA in a better position to recover from the pandemic. I am especially grateful that Dr. Stone took time during the pandemic to join a panel with the University of Kansas Health System to discuss VA’s pandemic response in Kansas. It was extra efforts like this that gave Dr. Stone such an incredible reputation on Capitol Hill and within the veterans community. While I know VA will miss his experience and dedication to serving veterans, I wish him the best and am grateful for his service to our nation’s veterans.”

“Dr. Richard Stone led the nation’s largest integrated health care system through a global health crisis that killed nearly 600,000 Americans and crippled the U.S. economy,” said Sen. Tester. “His calm and steady resolve to save veteran lives, protect his workforce and lend a hand to the U.S. health care system in its time of need is a debt that this nation can never repay. He fostered an era of transparency at VA, worked very effectively with Congress, took responsibility when things went wrong and worked to provide better health care for veterans nationwide, especially those in rural areas. We need more people like Dr. Stone in public service, and I hope his work on behalf of his fellow veterans inspires others to step up and make a difference in veterans’ lives.” 

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