{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-helps-secure-amendment-to-defund-commission-that-could-close-rural-va-facilities-in-maine", "Golden Helps Secure Amendment to Defund Commission that Could Close Rural VA Facilities in Maine", "2022-07-20", "2022", "2022-07", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Jared F. Golden", "G000592", "golden.house.gov", "golden", "https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Following remarks on the House floor today by Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02), the House voted to adopt an amendment cosponsored by the congressman that would help prevent the closure of a number of rural VA facilities, including those in Maine, by defunding the Asset and Infrastructure (AIR) Commission. The AIR Commission was created by Congress in 2018 and is charged with reviewing and processing VA recommendations.\n\nThe funding previously designated for the AIR Commission would be reallocated to the VA\u2019s Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program, rendering the Commission unable to function for the upcoming fiscal year.\n\n\u201cMaine\u2019s Second District is the largest district East of the Mississippi, the second most rural district in the country, and the home to more than 53,000 veterans,\u201d said Congressman Golden. \u201cThe VA facilities many of these veterans rely on \u2014 the clinics in Houlton, Fort Kent, and Rumford \u2014 are at risk of being shut down if we don\u2019t permanently end the Asset and Infrastructure, or AIR Commission. Our VA hospital at Togus would be downsized, with the remaining services moved to Portland, a long distance from most of the rural communities that I represent. I am proud to help introduce this amendment to defund the commission and transfer the money to the VA\u2019s Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, a far better use of the money. It\u2019s an important step towards ending the AIR Commission once and for all, before it can begin trying to implement these closures.\u201d\n\nThe VA recommendations to the AIR Commission included:\n\nClosure of the Houlton Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)\n\nClosure of the Fort Kent CBOC\n\nClosure of the Rumford CBOC\n\nRelocating Community and Residential Care from Togus VA to Portland\n\nEnding emergency department services at Togus VA\n\nConsolidating the services offered at the closed facilities into facilities that would remain open, like those at Togus, or into facilities that have yet to be built.\n\nThe MISSION Act of 2018 mandated the formation of the AIR Commission and required the Secretary of the VA to submit to this Commission recommendations for the modernization and realignment of VA medical facilities. To staff the Commission, the President nominated eight individuals in March 2022, with the ninth nominee still forthcoming. The eight nominees that have been nominated thus far have no experience providing healthcare for rural veterans.\n\nThis amendment is the latest action Golden has taken to prevent the closure of veterans health care facilities in Maine. Earlier this month, Golden and Congressman David McKinley (WV-01) introduced a bipartisan bill designed to prevent the closures by eliminating the AIR Commission entirely. Language similar to Golden\u2019s provision was also included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House last week. In February, Golden joined the Maine Delegation in a letter to the Maine Veterans\u2019 Homes (MVH) board opposing recently announced plans to close MVH homes in Machias and Caribou. The plans to immediately shutter the homes were ultimately reversed.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-helps-secure-amendment-to-defund-commission-that-could-close-rural-va-facilities-in-maine"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9355929214507341, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}