[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 57 (Thursday, March 31, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H4015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING VETERANS BY EXPANDING CARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank every single 
veteran in New Mexico and nationwide for their service and sacrifices 
to our country.
  But we cannot only thank our veterans for their service. We must 
honor their service by providing veterans the services they have 
earned.
  In 2018, President Trump's VA began a process under the Asset 
Infrastructure Review Act to develop a list of recommendations to 
modernize and realign VA medical facilities.
  Two weeks ago, the VA released its recommendations to the 
Infrastructure Review Commission and proposed the closure of four 
community-based outpatient clinics in rural areas of my district, 
closing the Gallup, Las Vegas, Raton, and Espanola clinics.
  Combined, these four clinics serve thousands of veterans in 
predominantly Hispanic and Native American communities. Hispanics and 
Native Americans serve our country at higher rates. We are incredibly 
patriotic.
  The VA wrongly assumes that these patriotic veterans can receive care 
from other community providers. They fail to understand that, in our 
rural areas, there aren't enough healthcare providers. The VA clearly 
doesn't seem to understand rural America.

  The VA's own report listed veterans' statements that they have 
serious issues driving long distances for care and can't receive 
critical care and quality care in many areas due to limited community 
providers. While these were listed in the report, the VA may have 
listened, but I don't think they heard. But I do hear. I hear my 
veterans and their stories. I hear their needs.
  I heard Harry. Harry is a 75-year-old Cold War veteran who is also a 
cancer survivor. He is a survivor today because his clinic doctor, Dr. 
Gomez, ensured Harry received a biopsy, and he received it quickly. It 
caught his cancer and saved his life. The clinic doctor knew Harry. He 
knew his history and could respond quickly to Harry's concerns. Harry 
told me: ``It was my pleasure serving this country, but the thing is 
that they need to take care of us.''
  Chris, another veteran I spoke to, told me: ``Congress is quick to 
send us to war, but when it comes to healthcare, the government is 
severely lacking.''
  Shirley cried as she told me she believes she is alive today because 
she could drive herself to the clinic where she was immediately 
triaged, stabilized, and sent to a hospital for the chest pains she was 
experiencing. Her heart still beats today because of that clinic.
  It breaks my heart that after all that these brave veterans have done 
for us, we are abandoning them just because they live in rural America.
  I know how my communities struggle to receive care and the toll it 
takes on their loved ones to take a full day off work to drive them 6 
hours just to draw labs or to have an annual checkup when it could be 
done in 25 minutes or less in town closer to where they live. Some 
veterans would be forced to drive those 6 hours round trip for care at 
the VA hospital in Albuquerque, which is itself overwhelmed, where 
veterans wait months for appointments.
  Do you know what? The VA never spoke to the local Espanola VA clinic. 
I did. The Espanola clinic doctor told me that other local clinics are 
not specialized to the unique needs of veterans and don't understand 
the mental toll that military service has had on our veterans. He 
asked: ``Don't veterans deserve more?''
  Veterans do deserve more.
  I have traveled to rural parts of my district to meet with veterans 
and hear what they need. The veterans I spoke to were upset, and 
rightly so. I am upset, too. They gave years of their lives in service 
to our country.
  It is our Nation's solemn obligation to provide veterans the 
healthcare, education, housing, and honorable services they have 
earned, regardless of where they live.
  This is about respect. This is about service. This is about saving 
lives.
  I will not stop until we convince the VA and, when it gets to him, 
President Biden to reject these recommendations.
  Instead of closing clinics, we should be expanding care and services 
to our veterans, meeting their needs wherever they happen to live--in 
cities, suburbs, or beautiful rural America and rural New Mexico.
  That is how we truly thank our veterans.

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