Interview with Representative Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania
PAUL: So rarely do we get to talk about such good news on the air, but everybody is abuzz over the homecoming that will soon be of Bowe Bergdahl.</s>BLACKWELL: Yes. And the question is this morning, what is Bowe Bergdahl feeling? What is he experiencing? I want to talk with a member of Congress. Congressman Tim Murphy, a representative, works with veterans every week at Walter Reed Hospital and practices as a psychologist. Congressman Murphy, good to have you this morning. First question to you, I heard the president say yesterday in the Rose Garden that Bowe Bergdahl has never been forgotten, but I'd imagine after five years you'd feel some level of abandonment. What is he feeling now?</s>REP. TIM MURPHY (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Well, I'm assuming a lot of elation that takes place, but certainly every soldier knows that America does not leave soldiers behind. Every VFW and American Legion hall in America has flags and ceremonies about that. So, that is a lot of relief. Maybe some disbelief on his part, too. Certainly looking forward to seeing his family and a big welcome home.</s>PAUL: You know, you just mentioned they leave no man behind, and that is coupling it this morning with a lot of people in Congress, since you're a congressman we want to have you put that hat on right now, who also say we don't negotiate with terrorists. That's exactly what happened here, and I'm sure people are trying to find the balance. But I want to read you something from Representative Buck McKeon of California making a statement that stood out. He said, "In executing this transfer, the president clearly violated laws which require him to notify Congress 30 days before any transfer of terrorists from Guantanamo Bay and to explain how the threat posed by such terrorists has been substantially mitigated." In your opinion or just in legalese, did the president break a law to make this exchange happen?</s>MURPHY: Well, we'll be reviewing that in detail to see if laws were broken. There's a basis for that, there's a real concern that a change in U.S. policy against this sort of exchange may lead to further capture of soldiers, and that's that puts others at risk. We know during this time that Bowe has been in prison there's been threats to kill him, there's been calls for ransom, there's been calls for larger numbers of prisoner exchanges within this whole process. Generally when a war tends to wind down, one does more of these exchanges at the end, but it is a concern and it's a policy -- the fact it's been made, a policy that's going to have to be reviewed, it will help other soldiers understand what they should be doing under these circumstances if they are captured. There's all sorts of questions going to be raised on this.</s>BLACKWELL: Congressman, Eric Shinseki is out at the V.A. at the start of the week, officials will start to look for the permanent replacement. How broad do you think the problem of these delayed appointments is throughout the V.A. system?</s>MURPHY: It's a huge problem. I think about 64 percent was the number that came out in terms of these phony or the long waiting lists. In Pittsburgh, they discovered a near list, the people who had called the V.A. for an appointment and just never got one and it's up to 2 years old for those, and those numbers may be well over 80,000 nationwide of people waiting. So, it is Shinseki stepped down because it did need to have that change, and others may be put in charge. But it is a pervasive problem of a culture that said the appearance of doing something is more important than actually doing something. That's very, very troubling, and I think there's going to be a lot of heads that are going to have to roll in this process and a lot of people who themselves are going to have to understand there's a new culture within the V.A. whose first priority should be to serve veterans and not to make some metrics in order to get a bonus.</s>BLACKWELL: All right. Congressman Tim Murphy, good to have you this morning and hopefully right now, something actually gets done. We'll see you back here --</s>PAUL: Thank you, sir.</s>BLACKWELL: -- at the top of the hour, 8:00 Eastern for more</s>NEW DAY. PAUL: Right. But, Brooke Baldwin is with you next for the good doctor. "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.