WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01), a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, praised the news that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission, which recommended closing Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Conway, Somersworth, and Portsmouth, will no longer move forward.

Thanks to Pappas’s advocacy, no Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in New Hampshire will be closed and veterans can continue to receive care in their communities.

“I am pleased that we were able to stop the closing of several health care clinics for our veterans, but the fact remains that it never should have gotten this far and VA should never have entertained closing down facilities that veterans in New Hampshire rely on for their care,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “There is nothing more sacred than the promise we make to those who have served our country in uniform, and I remain committed to fighting each and every day to ensure veterans get the care, services, and most importantly the respect that they have earned. Thank you to the veterans in New Hampshire who reached out and urged us to fight back against these proposed closures. I will always listen to our veteran’s community and fight to expand and improve VA health care in the Granite State.”

Ahead of the release of the AIR Commission recommendations, Pappas called for Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough to take into consideration critical information about the importance of New Hampshire’s VA facilities before making recommendations that could undermine Granite State veterans’ access to VA health care and services.

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