Schmidt says Walter Reed claims "overblown"

Rep. Jean Schmidt wrote in her weekly column sent out to reporters on Monday that after hearing about the "deplorable living conditions" at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center from a Feb. 18 story in The Washngton Post, she decided to take "several hours" to travel to the hospital in Washington, D.C., to see the situation "first hand."

So what did our investigative congresswoman discover, only a month after the story broke?

"I toured all four outpatient housing facilities, and was pleasantly surprised to find that three of the buildings contained clean living spaces, updated television and computer access, and full access to cooking units or cafeterias," Schmidt wrote.

That's not all she found.

Schmidt: "I also toured Building 18, which is the focus of the Washington Post's story. This building, which stood empty for years and is slated for demolition, was put back into use for housing purposes due to the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan . While I believe that this building is beneath the standard of what is acceptable, I think it is wrong to suggest that mold found behind an air conditioner somehow is an excuse to say that all of our veterans are receiving substandard medical care. It is important to remember that the building in question is an apartment building, not a medical facility. Further the building was scheduled to be torn down within two years.

"There is no question that Building 18 should have been upgraded or not in use at all. Postponing Building 18's demolition and allowing its use for living quarters was a poor management decision, and the decision makers should be - and have been - punished."

Her conclusion?

"I found the situation at Walter Reed to be overblown by both politicians and the media."

Read Schmidt's full column, titled "My Examination of Walter Reed Army Medical Center," on her congressional Web site HERE.