That's Ray Mabus. He's the US Secretary of the Navy and he's having some problems with the job President Barack Obama appointed him to, the job he assumed June 18, 2009.
Thursday in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee markup hearing, Ranking Member Richard Burr explained:
Today as we sit here getting ready for this markup, even though under US Code 42, statutorily the Secretary of the Navy is obligated to pay for the studies required to understand the health and mortality effects of this exposure, the Secretary of the Navy refuses to fund the CDC's arm at ASTDR that is obligated entity to go out and share with the country their scientific conclusion. Let me say that again: The Secretary of the Navy has refused to fund -- even though the law says he has to. So for me in good conscience to turn this over to the Dept of Defense to determine the scope of coverage for these individuals is insane. If the outcome of this vote is pre-determined, then so be it. I would hate for members to leave the markup today and believe that they will not revisit this issue. It will be revisited time and time and time again until the Congress recognizes that maybe the Dept of Defense, maybe the Secretary of the Navy can hide but the Congress can't hide from these people. These are people we represent. These are people that have asked us to come here and represent their interests, their health concerns, their future and I can't hide from them.
Why is Mabus not following the law?
At the end of the hearing, it was agreed to refer the matter to the Senate Armed Services Committee (specifically to Chair Carl Levin and Ranking Member John McCain).
When Mabus is circumventing the law and being called out for it publicly by a Senate Committee, why is it that the press fails to report on it?
The Committee joins US House Reps Brad Miller, John Dingell and Bart Stupak in calling for the Secretary of the Navy to follow the law. The issue involves the polluted water at Camp Lejeune which has effected many people including newborns whose parents were exposed to chemicals.