Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling on Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to institute an independent commission to review the care wounded soldiers receive.

In a letter to Gates, Schumer proposed that retired general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell “would make an excellent chairman for this commission.” The senator’s request is the latest congressional response to a widening scandal that already has resulted in the dismissal of Army Secretary Francis Harvey.

The Washington Post reported what Schumer calls “horrifying” conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The paper’s investigation has caused the issue to receive strong congressional attention.

“To think that men and women are serving their country in the most honorable and courageous way possible and all we give them is a dilapidated, rat-infested, run-down building to recover [in] is a disgrace,” Schumer said.

“My fear is that Walter Reed is just the tip of the iceberg, and merely highlights the pervasive and systemic mistreatment of our service members,” he added.

Schumer also had praise for Gates, lauding him for his “swift and decisive” move to ask for the resignations of Walter Reed’s commander and Harvey.

The senator believes an independent commission would best be able to “conduct a top-to-bottom review of all post-combat medical facilities, outpatient centers and [Veterans Affairs] hospitals.”