Pappas Secures Update on NH Full-Service VA Hospital

Today at a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Full Committee Oversight Hearing, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), a member of the committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, pushed for answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins on delivering a full-service VA hospital to New Hampshire, VA’s failure to communicate to veterans and families about months-long delays in payments of education benefits, and the implementation of the bipartisan VA Home Loan Program Reform Act.

An Executive Order issued by President Trump on May 9th instructed VA to begin a feasibility study on expanding services to support a full-service medical center in New Hampshire within 30 days and submit an action plan to the President within 180 days. Pappas called for an update on the feasibility study and action plan, saying,“During your visit, we talked about the ongoing action plan and feasibility study to talk about delivering a full-service VA hospital for the veterans of New Hampshire. We’re the only state in the lower 48 without a full-service hospital, a designation that we lost over 20 years ago. It [the action plan] was due to the President on November 5th of last year, and I’m really interested to know if that plan was delivered to the President and where things stand.”

Secretary Collins confirmed,“That has been delivered to the White House. It is at the White House now for the final processing and we hope to have an answer out of that in the very near future.”

For months, VA failed to notify 75,000 veterans, their families, and survivors about delays in paying required education benefits on time. Pappas asked for accountability and an explanation from the Secretary, saying, “It was a month and a half where veterans were in the dark. Congress was also left in the dark. We had letters that went unanswered… It’s inexcusable for veterans to not have the basic information on where payments stood… I’d like you to address that.”

Secretary Collins confirmed that the issue has been fixed, saying, “At this point that has been transferred over and most are getting their almost same-day on GI benefits. They’re getting the GI bill is working.” 

Last year, VA ended the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program – the only VA program that guaranteed foreclosure avoidance for veterans experiencing severe financial hardship and helped them stay in their homes. Pappas pushed back on this decision repeatedly to VA leadership, as well as helped pass and get signed into law the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act to address the gap left. Pappas pushed for an update on the implementation of the new VA partial claim program, saying, “This is an issue I raised with you in your last appearance before this committee around VASP and the partial claims program. You said at that time, ‘I think the first step is that Congress needs to act upon this.’ So we took your advice. We passed a bipartisan bill but it’s been six months since the Partial Claims Program was signed into law – hasn’t been stood up yet. I got veterans asking when they can get relief. Can you give us an answer on when we will see that program put into place?”

Secretary Collins confirmed,“Yes. That is being done now… It should be done shortly. We did have to integrate it in with the current system that we had. You’ll be getting an answer on that very shortly.”  

Background: 

New Hampshire is the only state in the contiguous 48 states to not have a dedicated, full-service VA hospital. Following the issuance of the Executive Order, Pappas led the New Hampshire delegation in a letter calling on VA Secretary Doug Collins to seriously and fully follow through on the feasibility study and action plan, with the goal of establishing a full-service VA hospital in New Hampshire. He also secured a commitment from VA Secretary Collins at a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to engage with New Hampshire veterans and stakeholders as the Department conducts the study and develops its action plan. In June, Pappas introduced legislation that would require VA to operate at least one full-service VA hospital in New Hampshire.

Pappas has sent multiple letters, with House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (CT) on VA’s failure to pay required education benefits on time to over 75,000 veterans and their families and survivors. Secretary Collins failed to respond to previous letters sent on October 9 and November 14 until December 15 evening, missing multiple deadlines to provide the requested information. VA acknowledged during a December 5 briefing that it never informed Congress of the issue impacting 75,000 beneficiaries, which started in August. VA is aware of the failed distribution of checks that is still affecting the finances of thousands, but deemed it unnecessary to communicate with the veterans, families, and survivors impacted or notify Congress and the public. Pappas pressed VA leadership on this issue at the EO Subcommittee hearing on December 16.

In April, Pappas spoke out forcefully against the administration abruptly ending VASP during a House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity markup. He joined a bicameral letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, urging him to immediately reverse his decision to abruptly end VASP. In May, Pappas spoke out against the decision to end VASP during an HVAC markup, rebuked VA Secretary Collins for ending the program when the Secretary testified before the Committee, and shared how constituents in New Hampshire’s First District would be impacted during a press conference with Congressional leaders. Pappas helped pass the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, legislation to establish a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan safety net program and enhance services to end veteran homelessness, which was signed into law in July.