WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), and Senator Jeanne Shaheen along with U.S. Representative Chris Pappas, member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC), and Representative Maggie Goodlander pushed U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Doug Collins to publicly share the Department’s action plan to establish a full-service VA facility in New Hampshire. This new letter to Secretary Collins comes after New Hampshire’s congressional delegation met with the Secretary at Manchester VA Medical Center in August for a briefing with Medical Center leaders and continued their advocacy to bring a full-service VA facility to the state.
“We owe veterans a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid for their sacrifices to keep our nation safe, secure, and free,” said Senator Hassan. “This action plan is a much-needed step in establishing a full-service VA facility in New Hampshire, and sharing it publicly will allow Granite State veterans and their families to provide input on the next steps. I will continue to work across the aisle to ensure that veterans have access to the high-quality health care that they need, including by establishing a full-service VA facility in New Hampshire.”
“The freedoms and rights we all enjoy were paid for with the sacrifices of the men and women who have served in the military—the least we can do is ensure veterans can access first rate health care no matter where they live,” said Senator Shaheen. “It’s long past time New Hampshire’s veterans had a full-service VA facility - making the plans publicly available would be a critical step towards expanding services for Granite Staters.”
“New Hampshire’s lack of a full-service VA hospital means our veterans may not have access to, or may need to travel long distances for, essential care. As we work to ensure that we can meet the needs of all New Hampshire veterans, VA should publicly release their action plan so that all those who are directly impacted can make their voices heard,” said Congressman Pappas. “We must continue to build on the progress we’ve made to finally deliver a full-service hospital to New Hampshire veterans.”
“Every American should get the healthcare they need when they need it and where they need it. New Hampshire’s brave veterans face far too many barriers to care and have waited far too long for a full-service VA hospital in our state,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “Releasing this action plan is a critical step in getting this done and delivering for our veterans.”
Senator Hassan has repeatedly pushed the VA on the need for a full-service VA hospital in New Hampshire and spoken out against efforts to weaken the VA. Senator Hassan has also led on bipartisan legislation to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) health care scheduling process so that veterans can easily schedule multiple visits at once through one phone call or online.
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Shaheen has worked tirelessly to make health care more accessible for New Hampshire veterans and has long worked to secure federal funding for VA health care sites throughout New Hampshire. The first piece of legislation she introduced in Congress was the Veterans Health Equity Act in 2009, which would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that every state has a full-service veterans’ hospital or that comparable services are provided by contracting with in-state hospitals.
Pappas led the New Hampshire delegation in introducing legislation to require VA to operate at least one full-service VA hospital in New Hampshire and calling on VA Secretary Doug Collins to seriously and fully follow through on the feasibility study and action plan. In May, Pappas secured a commitment from 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. Pappas co-leads the House companion bill to Senator Hassan’s Improving Veteran Access to Care Act.
Goodlander, a member of the For Country Caucus and House Armed Services Committee who served for more than a decade in the United States Navy Reserve, has been a vocal champion for bringing a full-service VA hospital to New Hampshire, including by co-sponsoring legislation and an amendment that passed the House and advocating directly before the House Appropriations Committee and on the House Floor for this effort.
See the full letter that Senators Hassan and Shaheen and Congressmembers Pappas and Goodlander sent to Secretary Collins below and HERE.
Dear Secretary Collins,
We write today to request that you make publicly available the action plan to develop a full-service medical center in New Hampshire that you were required to submit to President Trump by November 5, 2025. Making this plan publicly available will ensure that the people of New Hampshire, particularly Granite State veterans, can review and comment on your proposal. Getting input on this plan from Granite Staters is vital to ensuring that the establishment of a full-service Veterans Affairs hospital in New Hampshire will best support the needs of Granite State veterans.
On May 9, President Trump issued Executive Order 14296, titled “Keeping Promises to Veterans and Establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence.” Section 5(b) of this order, which dealt with veterans’ health care, required that, within 180 days, you submit to the President “an action plan to expand services to support a full-service medical center in New Hampshire so that it is no longer the only State in the contiguous United States without such a center.” We agree with the President that New Hampshire veterans deserve expeditious access to a full-service VA hospital within the Granite State. We also know that the best way to ensure that Granite State veterans’ needs are being met is to hear from Granite State veterans. To that end, we request that you publish your action plan in an easily accessible public forum no later than December 1, 2025, and that you provide a meaningful mechanism for Granite Staters to express their thoughts and comments on the action plan.
We look forward to continuing to work together with you to support Granite State veterans.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
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