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Date: 7/1/2022
NORTHAMPTON – After a long-fought battle by legislators, veterans and community officials, the Edward P. Boland Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Leeds will officially stay open.
The announcement comes after U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and 11 other senators announced their collective opposition to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission process moving forward in the Senate. The AIR Commission proposed the closure of several Veterans Affairs facilities across the nation, including the one in Leeds.
“As senators, we share a commitment to expanding and strengthening modern VA infrastructure in a way that upholds our obligations to America’s veterans,” read the collective statement. “We believe the recommendations put forth to the AIR Commission are not reflective of that goal and would put veterans in both rural and urban areas at a disadvantage, which is why we are announcing that this process does not have our support and will not move forward. The commission is not necessary for our continued push to invest in VA health infrastructure, and together we remain dedicated to providing the department with the resources and tools it needs to continue delivering quality care and earned services to veterans in 21st century facilities — now and into the future.”
In 2018 Congress passed, and President Donald Trump signed into law, the VA MISSION Act. Among its many provisions, the law required the VA to research, develop and publish a list of recommendations intended to modernize VA medical facilities and health care delivery – including through facility expansions, relocations, closures or changes in services.
The law further directed those recommendations to be reviewed by a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed commission, which would then report its views of the recommendations to the president who could end the process or present recommendations to Congress for a vote.
However, without the Senate’s approval of the nominees, no commission will be established, and the process as outlined by the VA MISSION Act will not move forward.
Steven Connor, the director of the Central Hampshire Veterans’ Services District, told Reminder Publishing that he was “very happy” with the news of Leeds’ survival, but cautioned that the upcoming midterm elections could lead to a reversal of fortune, as the possibility of new officials with new opinions looms.
“It was a legislative process in that, they don’t fill the [AIR] Commission, so the commission can’t do their work, so everything stays,” Connor summarized. “My only reaction to that is, depending on how elections turn out at the midterms, other people could come in and switch that back around.”
Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said in a statement to Reminder Publishing, “I am deeply grateful to Congressman [James] McGovern and all of our partners at the federal, state and local levels who fought to prevent a terrible mistake from happening. I am glad it looks like the VA Medical Center will remain open, and comforted to know that the veterans of Northampton, Florence, Leeds and the region will continue to have nearby access to the quality health care and services they earned serving their country.”
McGovern expressed gratitude toward the senators’ efforts to keep the facility open, stating that they worked together “to put an end to this unfair and arbitrary process.”
“This announcement is a huge relief to the thousands of veterans across Western and Central Massachusetts who rely on the Leeds VA for high-quality medical care,” McGovern continued. “This entire ordeal has created anxiety and distress for veterans and their loved ones throughout our community – and I sincerely hope that this welcome news allows them to rest a bit easier tonight knowing that the commission and the recommended closures will not move forward. My team and I have been working closely with our Senate counterparts, and as Chairman of the House Rules committee, I will continue to do whatever I can to block any legislative attempts to shut down the Leeds VA and take care away from our veterans.”