Senator Hassan, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate the VA AIR Commission

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and colleagues in introducing the Elimination of the VA Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission Act, which would eliminate the commission that is tasked with finding VA facilities that should be consolidated or realigned.

“I have been raising alarm bells on the VA’s recommendations to the AIR Commission to close clinics in Littleton and Conway, and move outpatient surgical care from Manchester to community providers. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle have been fighting back against recommendations as well, and now we’re teaming up on bipartisan legislation to stop them from moving forward,” said Senator Hassan. “We need to protect veterans’ access to care and ensure that we always keep our promise to support veterans after they sacrificed so much for our country. I’m glad to join this bipartisan effort to support our veterans by blocking the harmful recommendations.”

This bipartisan bill is part of Senator Hassan’s ongoing efforts to push back on the VA’s recommendations to the AIR Commission. She pressed VA Secretary Denis McDonough on the issue, and he committed to protecting access to care for New Hampshire veterans. She led New Hampshire and Vermont Senators in calling on the VA to protect veterans’ access to care in their states following the concerning AIR Commission recommendations, and held a field hearing in Manchester last month to highlight this and other pressing issues facing New Hampshire veterans.

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