Overland Park ? Veterans hospitals and clinics in Kansas often fail to see patients within the 30-day period mandated by Congress six years ago, according to a House report released Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore.

In some cases, the report found, veterans were waiting more than twice that long for appointments.

Moore, D-Kan., said he didn’t blame the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“It’s not their fault if Congress isn’t giving them the funds they need,” he said Tuesday at a news conference outside the American Legion hall in Overland Park.

The report, prepared at Moore’s request by the special investigations division of the House Committee on Government Reform, examined waiting times at VA primary and specialty care clinics in Kansas.

It estimated that in 2002, 50,000 appointments in hospitals that serve Kansas veterans will be scheduled later than the 30-day target.

The number of those forced to wait beyond 30 days ranged from 40 percent for patients seeking an appointment with a cardiologist to 68 percent for orthopedic appointments.

Orthopedics also had the longest average wait time, 76 days, for a “next available” appointment. Urology and cardiology both averaged 29 days, the lowest average wait.

“I noticed that the report didn’t cover waits for dental care,” said Gulf War veteran Jim Bunker, who also spoke at Tuesday’s news conference. “I’ve been waiting for more than six months to see a dentist.

“I can’t even get on a list,” said Bunker, who walks with crutches as a result of his combat injuries. “In the civilian world, at least you can get on a list.”