FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Contact: Senator Jack Barnes

(603) 271-6931

SENATOR PRAISES COMMITTEE FOR SUPPORTING VETERANS MEDICAL CENTER

CONCORD – Senator Jack Barnes Jr. congratulated the House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee today for its 10-0 vote in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, calling for the restoration of full services to the Manchester Veterans Administration Medical Center.

“The state Veterans Advisory Council and myself are very pleased that the House committee passed this resolution on for a vote on the House floor. I am sure the rest of the House will follow suit. This is important to all the veterans in the state and their families. All of our congressional delegation are aware of this and are working with us to make this happen,’ said Senator Jack Barnes (R-Raymond), the prime sponsor of SCR7.

The Senate voted 24-0 in support of SCR 7 on Jan. 24 and followed up with a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake asking that full services be reinstated at the Manchester veteran’s facility.

Currently many veterans must travel to Boston or White River Junction, VT to get services that are no longer available at the facility in Manchester.

“New Hampshire is the only state in the country that lacks a full service veterans’ medical center,” said Senate President Sylvia Larsen (D-Concord). “We believe our veterans deserve to get their health care needs met here in their home state, where they can remain close to family and friends.”