From July 20, 2022 post
Following Pappas's advocacy, no Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in New Hampshire were closed, and veterans can continue to receive care in their communities. Today’s vote further ensures that local VA facilities will remain open to veterans in need.
Today, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan amendment that Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) helped introduce to a major appropriations bill that transfers the $5 million previously appropriated for the Department of Veterans' Affairs Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission to the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program. This effectively eliminates all funding for the AIR Commission, further guaranteeing the Commission's proposal to close local VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in New Hampshire cannot move forward.
Congressman Pappas, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, led the fight in the House to oppose the AIR Commission's recommendations to close critical VA locations in New Hampshire. Following Pappas' advocacy, Congressional leaders announced they would block the AIR Commission from moving forward, ensuring that CBOCs in Conway, Somersworth, and Portsmouth would remain open.
"I fought to oppose the AIR Commission's recommendations and to save our CBOCs in Conway, Somersworth, and Portsmouth because they are important to our veterans. Today's bipartisan vote on this amendment will defund this commission and further ensure that Granite State veterans can continue to get the care they need close to home," said Congressman Pappas. "Veterans in my district deserve to receive the care and support they have earned without the threat of bureaucrats closing facilities that they rely on for service. I want to thank the veterans in New Hampshire who reached out and urged us to fight back against these proposed closures. I will always listen to our veteran's community and fight to expand and improve VA health care in the Granite State."
Ahead of the release of the AIR Commission recommendations in March, Pappas called for Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonoughto take into consideration critical information about the importance of New Hampshire's VA facilities before making recommendations that could undermine Granite State veterans' access to VA health care and services.
Issues: Veterans
Original source can be found here.
