President Obama has vowed to tackle a scandal engulfing the Department of Veterans Affairs over lengthy delays for medical treatment at facilities nationwide. The VA has come under scrutiny after it emerged health clinics in Arizona and Colorado used elaborate schemes to hide records of patients who waited too long for care, causing dozens of deaths. Speaking after a meeting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, Obama called the delays and cover-ups intolerable.

President Obama: “When I hear allegations of misconduct, any misconduct, whether it’s allegations of VA staff covering up long wait times or cooking the books, I will not stand for it, not as commander-in-chief, but also not as an American. None of us should.”

The number of VA facilities under investigation has more than doubled to 26 since last week. Asked by reporters if Shinseki’s job is on the line, Obama avoided a direct answer but did not rule out his departure.

President Obama: “I know that Ric’s attitude is if he does not think he can do a good job on this, and if he thinks he’s let our veterans down, then I’m sure that he is not going to be interested in continuing to serve. At this stage, Ric is committed to solving the problem and working with us to do it. And I am going to do everything in my power, using the resources of the White House, to help that process of getting to the bottom of what happened and fixing it.”