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But Shulkin got the last word with his op-ed, writing, “As I prepare to leave government, I am struck by a recurring thought: It should not be this hard to serve your country.”

Shulkin wrote of his strong belief in the mission of the VA, and stressed that keeping the promise of care to our nations’ veterans is an essential national security concern. Among the accomplishments noted during his tenure are legislation improving the appeals process for veterans seeking disability benefits, reducing wait times, and increasing mental health services.

However, Shulkin claims those successes only “have intensified the ambitions of people who want to put V.A. health care in the hands of the private sector.” He feels he was seen as “an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed,” and that “political appointees choosing to promote their agendas… who seek to privatize veteran health care… unfortunately fail to engage in realistic plans regarding who will care for the more than 9 million veterans who rely on the department for life-sustaining care.”

Shulkin says the private sector is ill-prepared to handle the number and complexity of patients the VA serves. Republicans have long supported expanding choice for veterans to receive care at private facilities, or any facility that accepts Medicare. Veterans have been able to seek some care outside of VA facilities since a 2014 scandal in Phoenix revealed falsified wait-time records. Most veterans service organizations, such as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars, are against privatization efforts.

Shulkin’s op-ed did not address one of the major causes of his firing: the controversy over a work trip to London and Copenhagen, during which he spent the majority of his time sightseeing, inappropriately accepted tickets to the Wimbledon tennis tournament, and improperly used government funds to pay for his wife’s travel, according to a report by the VA Office of the Inspector General.

Shulkin ultimately apologized for the improper behavior and reimbursed some costs of the trip. Initially, he released a similarly blistering response to the IG report, but eventually told lawmakers he regretted “the decisions that have been made that have taken the focus off that important work” at hearing on Capitol Hill.

That incident became a source of frustration for President Trump.

\"I came to government with an understanding that Washington can be ugly, but I assumed I could avoid all the ugliness by staying true to my values,\" Shulkin wrote of his tenure. “Despite these politically-based attacks on me and my family's character, I am proud of my record and know that I acted with the utmost integrity. Unfortunately, none of that mattered.”

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