Judd Gregg: “I wish to discuss the Veteran's Health Equity Act, a bill that has been introduced by my friend from the other side of…”

“I wish to discuss the Veteran's Health Equity Act, a bill that has been introduced by my friend from the other side of the aisle, Senator Jeanne Shaheen. I am pleased to start the 111th Congress in a bipartisan fashion and to support legislation that addresses an issue that is extremely important to our Nation's heroic military veterans, especially in my home State of New Hampshire. This important piece of legislation, which I hope will have the Senate's full support, would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to guarantee that veterans in every State have access to instate hospital care. More specifically, the Veteran's Health Equity Act would require the VA to either provide a full-service VA hospital in every State or contract with one or a number of full-service hospitals to provide veterans with a comparable level of care. At this time, New Hampshire, like Alaska and Hawaii, is without a full-service VA hospital and veterans are being forced to travel to Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont in order to receive necessary medical treatment. Oftentimes, especially during the winter months, interstate travel can be extremely dangerous in New England, and our veterans should not be forced to travel long distances in order to receive the medical care they have earned and deserve. I will continue to press the VA until veterans have access to local, full-service medical care.”