During Nomination Hearing, Senator Hassan Pushed for Manchester VA Facility Repairs & Rep. Collins Committed to Visiting Manchester VA
WASHINGTON – Today in the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan voted to advance the nomination of Representative Doug Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
“I had a good conversation with Representative Collins at his confirmation hearing about the challenges facing our veterans and was glad to vote to advance his nomination today,” Senator Hassan said. “In particular, I appreciated his willingness to visit the Manchester VA Medical Center and to support efforts to modernize VA infrastructure, like Manchester’s VA Medical Center. I am also grateful for his service to our country in uniform and look forward to working with him to find more ways to support and honor the heroes who have kept America safe, secure, and free.”
During Representative Collins’ confirmation hearing, Senator Hassan raised the importance of modernizing Manchester’s VA Medical Center and building a full-service veterans hospital in New Hampshire, and Representative Collins committed to visiting the Manchester facility. Senator Hassan and New Hampshire’s Congressional Delegation had previously successfully pushed the VA to prioritize improvements to the Manchester VA Medical Center.
Click here to watch Senator Hassan’s questioning at Representative Collins’ confirmation hearing.
“[President] Trump supported a full-service VA hospital for New Hampshire when he was on the campaign trail. I’ve supported a full-service hospital in our state for years and will gladly work with you and the President to make that happen,” said Senator Hassan at Representative Collins’ confirmation hearing. “In the meantime, though, the current Manchester VA Medical Center is almost 75 years old and it needs significant upgrades…So following a push from the New Hampshire delegation to prioritize improvements to the Medical Center, the VA has begun implementing a multiyear upgrade plan. Will you commit to continuing these upgrades to make sure that Granite State veterans have the best possible medical facility to receive their care at? And will you come up to New Hampshire to visit the facility and meet our veterans?”
“I’ll tell you the last one first, yes,” Representative Collins responded, committing to visiting the Manchester VA Medical Center and meeting with Granite State veterans.
“But I will show you not only Granite State veterans but all across the country, they will be taken care of… The infrastructure needs – I’m glad we’re talking about them today – because it’s not just the new facility. It’s not just the new [Community Based Outpatient Clinics], it’s taking these older facilities that as you said once they’re shut down – and then the bureaucratic process to get it fixed,” continued Representative Collins. “So that is it, but also with President Trump’s commitment, look I’m going to support the President, we’re going to look to that hospital. But look you’ve brought up a bigger issue that I hope all the committee members will understand. I wish, as we said before have this rose colored, all pixie dust, it’ll just fix itself, but construction issues are going to be one of our hardest because of aging facilities.”
Senator Hassan also discussed her bipartisan legislation to make it easier for veterans to schedule medical appointments through one phone call or online, which can be particularly helpful for reducing the number of the often-lengthy trips that rural veterans must make to receive their care. Representative Collins expressed interest in the bill and added, “from a conceptual standpoint, the better question for me is why haven’t we almost got there anyway?” Representative Collins also committed to Senator Hassan that he would effectively implement the Senator Elizabeth Dole Act, bipartisan legislation that Senator Hassan helped introduce which, among other measures, expands home care services for veterans.
As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Hassan has led bipartisan efforts to support service members, veterans, and their families. In addition to the Dole Act, Senator Hassan helped develop and pass the bipartisan PACT Act into law to help veterans secure the benefits and care that they have earned. Senator Hassan also helped create and fund the 9-8-8 national suicide hotline, which has a specified veterans crisis line, as well as helped pass into law bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Solid Start program, which contacts every veteran three times by phone in the first year after they leave active duty service to check in and help connect them to VA programs and benefits.
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