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Veterans Choice deal in the works in House

New Hampshire Union Leader - 7/28/2017

July 28--Veterans Choice deal in the works in House

By KEVIN LANDRIGAN and DAN TUOHY

New Hampshire Union Leader

July 27. 2017 9:58PM

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A bipartisan compromise to avert a crisis in veterans health care emerged in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday.

The late-breaking deal would prevent the popular Veterans Choice Program from running out of money and is expected to win approval today.

A coalition of groups from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars to the Wounded Warrior Project praised the proposal Thursday to pump another $2.1 billion into the nearly bankrupt program without taking cash from the existing health care budget for the nation's nearly 23 million veterans.

"We applaud their leadership as an example of the type of bipartisan cooperation that all Americans should expect from our leaders," the statement said.

The new agreement would invest in 28 leases for VA facilities, some of which have been held up by Congress for two years.

It also will include provisions making it easier for the VA to hire medical personnel. The latest VA data shows 45,360 vacancies in the VA health care system.

Congresswoman Annie Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter, both D-N.H., had played a part in writing that amendment for hiring more VA staff, especially in the mental health field.

The move comes two days after the House rejected a bill to provide $2 billion to the Veterans Choice Program by taking money from other programs. Eight veterans groups strongly opposed that earlier bill, arguing it prioritized private-sector health care while neglecting VA services. They saw it as a dangerous precedent for the VA to transition completely to private care.

Kuster and Shea-Porter had voted against the earlier amendment and were roundly criticized by leading Republicans for it.

In a statement, Kuster said this latest version is a marked improvement, though she'll keep fighting to make the Veterans Choice Program better.

"We know that in New Hampshire, the Choice Program has been an important tool in helping veterans access care outside of the VA but it hasn't delivered for all veterans," Kuster said. "While I support reauthorizing the program, I'm committed to continuing to work across the aisle to improve the Choice Program so that we can deliver on our promise to care for the men and women who have served our nation in uniform."

A spokesman said Shea-Porter is pleased with the latest development that means the House will replenish the budget before members for their August recess.

"The congresswoman agrees with the veteran service organizations that veterans deserve a much better bill than the one Republicans put up for a vote on Monday, and because she and so many of her colleagues demanded a better bill, that better bill is now headed to the House floor," said spokesman Marjorie Connolly.

"The bill the House is expected to pass with overwhelming bipartisan support on Friday includes a provision Carol wrote to improve VA hiring of mental health professionals, who are on the front lines of New Hampshire's efforts to combat the heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid crisis."

N.H. GOP Chairman Jeanie Forrester said in light of the quality of care investigation at the Manchester VA, the earlier Kuster and Shea-Porter votes against the previous bill were "disappointing."

"At a time when the resources of the Manchester VA are under well known scrutiny, the votes from Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster are extremely disappointing. New Hampshire veterans deserve the funding to get the best medical care they need, and through the Veterans Choice Program they were able to. Failing to fund an extension of the program is an embarrassment for New Hampshire's representation in Congress," Forrester said Wednesday.

"New Hampshire deserves representation in Congress that understands and fights for the critical funding programs our veterans need. Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster should be ashamed of their feckless votes against ensuring our veterans get the choices in health care they deserve."

Forrester and the state GOP spokesman could not be reached for comment on this latest compromise and how that aligns with her previous statements.

But a First Congressional District Republican challenger to Shea-Porter in 2018, Bedford State Sen. Andy Sanborn, stands behind his previous criticism of the four-term Democrat.

"Simply put, she should be ashamed that she put her extreme liberal big government politics ahead of the best interests of our veterans and New Hampshire deserves better. In contrast, I will fight every day for the warriors who defend all we believe in and I will work tirelessly until our failed VA system is fixed, so veterans can receive the world class healthcare they deserve," Sanborn had said Wednesday.

On Thursday during a telephone interview, Sanborn said he was pleased there was progress but still said Shea-Porter was at fault for the near-collapse of the Veterans Choice Program.

"There is already $185 billion appropriated for veterans health care and that works out to $20,000 per veteran when we spend about $10,000 per person for all medical care," Sanborn said.

"We know the veterans aren't getting top quality care and it's shameful that with the crisis at the Manchester VA Congresswoman Shea-Porter has put nothing into this bill to address the scandal in her own district. Instead she's too busy playing partisan politics with the health care of our warriors."

Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), a group affiliated with the fiscally conservative Koch Brothers league of special-interest groups, attacked the other veteran groups for condemning that earlier bill and said it had been the right approach.

"The Veteran Service Organizations and members of Congress who used this as an opportunity to advance a misleading anti-choice agenda are standing directly between millions of veterans and their health care," said CVA Executive Director Mark Lucas.

Connolly, the Shea-Porter spokesman, declined comment on the criticism on the earlier vote.

"Our office has nothing to say regarding uninformed political attacks about veterans' access to health care," Connolly said.

klandrigan@unionleader.comdtuohy@unionleader.com

Politics Social issues New Hampshire

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