As the investigation of the Phoenix VA continues, one very important question has been completely ignored -- who knew and when did they know. Most people who have worked for a government agency are aware that if problems exist and management refuses to reconcile them, they have the option of contacting federal Congressional representatives.

The investigation into the Phoenix VA scandal had barely been formalized when Senators McCain and Flake quickly seized media attention to jointly call for the resignation of VA Secretary Shinseki; it appears that those who may have the most to hide quickly point a finger in the opposite direction.

The investigation should focus on how many complaints were addressed to the Senators and what they did to reconcile them. It’s inexcusable that this scandal was able to occur within their area of Congressional responsibility.

How much and how long did Senators McCain and Flake have knowledge of what was happening to veterans in their districts? What answers did they provide to their constituents about the problems at the Phoenix VA? What did the Senators actually do, if anything at all? Will these questions ever be presented to them?

The fact this scandal was allowed to exist without any action from them is a premise for the citizens of Arizona to set aside their political affiliations and do what is right for our nation’s veterans to whom we owe our freedom. Both Senators have the responsibility to protect our troops during and “after” the wars they so proudly support.

If it can be established that Senators Flake and McCain had prior knowledge of the scandal, they should immediately be forced to tender their resignations.

To ignore their responsibility is to ultimately dishonor the sacrifices of our veterans and our country.