Vets Committee hosts new Secretary

VA Secretary Denis McDonough made his first appearance before the House Veterans Affairs Committee. It was my opportunity to get his support for hiring a full-time doctor and a mental health provider to serve veterans in the Marianas. That staffing proposal by VA Pacific Islands Health Care System Director, Dr. Adam Robinson, was the result of language I included in this year’s VA appropriation report directing the Department to increase its medical services to Marianas vets. I also asked Secretary McDonough to keep flexibilities put in place during the pandemic so that veterans in our islands can continue to more easily access programs like the Program of Comprehensive Assistance to Family Caregivers. You can view our exchange here.