MANCHESTER – U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01), chair of the oversight and investigations subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, joined a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee field hearing led by U.S. Maggie Hassan on supporting service members during their transition to civilian life.

“New Hampshire is second to none in the way that we come together and support those who have served. And that’s a tremendous asset for our state, as we talk about some of the deficiencies that we might see in VA or the bureaucracy in Washington, we know that people in New Hampshire are ready to come together and do whatever it takes to support those who have served and help open doors to make sure that people can have a healthy and secure and prosperous life after their service in the military,” said Congressman Pappas in his opening statement. “But we know that like elsewhere in the nation, the transition period for those who have served can present many problems and frustrations for servicemembers and their families as they settle into civilian life.”

“Of course, many states like New Hampshire, which have rural and underserved communities in terms of VA health care, present some challenges as well. And we know that our communities have fewer health care practitioners than other states that may have large urban areas. In a state like New Hampshire, there just aren’t enough medical specialists out in the community,” continued Congressman Pappas. “That’s why it’s important that we continue to work to bolster VA health care, both at the medical center in Manchester and our community based outpatient clinics that do a tremendous job all across the state. I want to echo what Senator Hasson has said about the recommendations of the AIR Commission. I find them deeply concerning and we’re going to work to make sure that we’re not going backward in terms of the commitment to VA health.”

During the hearing, Pappas questioned witnesses on the potential impact of the AIR Commission’s proposed recommendations and access to community care, as well as virtual access to care and services for veterans in rural areas and how VA use the lessons learned during COVID-19 to adapt as we recover from the pandemic.