King, Collins urge Senate committee to aid VA medical facilities

Collins photo courtesy / Medill DC, Flickr, King photo courtesy / U.S. Naval War College, Flickr U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King have signeda letter to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs to authorize leases at several medical facilities across the country .

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By Staff

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King have joined a bipartisan coalition of 13 other senators urging the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to authorize leases for 18 medical facilities in 12 states that have been awaiting congressional authorization for over a year, including a potential outpatient facility in Portland.

“These lease authorizations are needed to enable the VA to deliver care and services to veterans across the United States,” the group of senators wrote in their letter to the committee. “As such, we ask that you act swiftly to authorize these pending leases until a more permanent solution to the issue can be found. Inaction on this issue hampers the ability of veterans in our states to access timely and quality care from the VA.”

Among the projects stuck in limbo is a proposed collaboration between the VA Maine Healthcare System, Maine Medical Center and Tufts University Center of Medicine to create an outpatient facility in Portland aimed at improving veteran access to care.

According to King’s office, the Department of Veterans Affairs must receive legislative authorization to lease medical facilities that have average rental payments in excess of $1 million. But since 2012, Congress has not, through a regular process, authorized any VA major medical facility leases, hampering the ability of the VA to provide much-needed health care and services to veterans around the country.