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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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Shea-Porter Continues Drive for Full-Service VA Hospital

Congresswoman Sends Second Letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) today sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake requesting that the Manchester VA Medical Center be restored to a full-service facility.

“New Hampshire is the only state in the country that lacks a full-service veterans’ hospital – a serious inequity for our state and our state’s veterans,” wrote Shea-Porter in her letter to Secretary Peake today. “I hope that we can work together to solve this problem.”

This is the latest in a series of steps that Congresswoman Shea-Porter has taken to pursue the issue in Washington. Earlier this month, she announced that Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, had accepted her invitation to visit Manchester, tour the VA Medical Center, and assess the situation in person. In October of last year, Shea-Porter wrote to then-Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon Mansfield to request that the Manchester VA be restored to full-service.

After the Manchester VA Medical Center discontinued many inpatient and outpatient services seven years ago, veterans in New Hampshire have often been required to travel to Vermont or Massachusetts for certain types of care. For veterans who live in rural areas, particularly those with disabilities, this additional travel can cause serious medical and financial hardship.

Shea-Porter addressed this situation in her letter to Secretary Peake, writing: “Those brave men and women who have served our country deserve the highest level of medical care. The dedicated professionals at our veterans’ facility do their absolute best with what they are given and provide the finest care that they can. However, the lack of a full-service hospital puts an unfair and undue strain on New Hampshire’s veterans and their families.”

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Shea-Porter has been a strong advocate for military personnel, veterans, and their families. She co-sponsored legislation to expand treatment and coverage for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, she was a leading voice in the fight for a 3.5% military pay increase, and she helped to pass the largest funding increase in the 77-year history of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Congresswoman Shea-Porter’s letters to Secretary Peake and Acting Secretary Mansfield are attached. See files [shea-porter_peake.pdf] and [shea-porter_mansfield.pdf]