Will County Gazette

Republican state Rep. David Welter wishes everyone would have responded as quickly as he and several of his colleagues did to the LaSalle Veterans’ Home tragedy.

“Those of us that are here today reacted swiftly when we heard about the outbreak,” Welter said during a recent news conference dedicated to the tragedy. "I, with [Rep. Dan] Swanson [R-Woodhull] and [Rep. David] Frese [R-Red Bud] called for hearings while the outbreak was still going on either in person or virtually to step in and identify how we could help the governor's team act with urgency that this crisis demanded. Crucial weeks went by with no response to the requests for hearings from the House Democrats, who were too busy at the time to decide if they were going to keep Mike Madigan as speaker or not — all while our veterans were suffering. It took until Dec. 8 for the House to hold a hearing, but again politics got in the way.”

By Welter’s recollection, the governor didn’t call in the National Guard to provide support at the LaSalle home until Dec. 10.

The Illinois Department of Human Services Inspector General report blasts government leadership for not having a plan in place, insisting that it ultimately played a role in the tragedy being as bad as it has been.

Reports are after the first four cases in the outbreak were arrived Nov. 1, the virus spread to 60 residents and 43 employees as confused staff operated in an environment that was "inefficient, reactive and chaotic.”

Some of the harshest criticism has been reserved for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, including accusations he appointed then-VA Director Linda Chapa LaVia but allowed her to abdicate her responsibilities to a non-medical chief of staff.

“Incredibly, director Chapa LaVia did not resign until Jan. 11, more than 10 weeks after the initial outbreak, and 36 veterans had lost their lives,” Welter said. “In the aftermath of the Inspector General's report released on [April 26], we need to hold hearings to ensure those responsible for this tragic failure are held accountable. We must also begin to restore the public's confidence that we will take any necessary actions to make sure that the multitude of failures that led to this tragedy at the LaSalle Home are never repeated.”

The governor’s office has taken steps toward changes that include hiring Navy veteran Terry Prince as the acting Veterans' Affairs director to replace Chapa LaVia.