{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=59F73121-47AB-4C1B-BF36-47DDD996A998", "VA secretary tours Hot Springs VA, hears concerns about closing", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Kristi Noem", "N000184", "noem.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NewsCenter1 \r\n\tClosing the VA Hospital in Hot Springs\u00a0has been a passionate topic in our community, and the future of the hospital is still unclear.\r\nU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald toured the facility on Nov. 30. He also\u00a0held a town hall meeting, saying\u00a0he was there to listen.\u00a0\r\n\"It's clear from my discussions today that the topic on everyone's mind is what will ultimately happen to the Hot Springs facility.\"\u00a0\r\nVeterans, VA employees, veteran service leaders, and citizens of the community all complained of misinformation on whether or not the facility is closing. McDonald wanted to personally tour the facility before making a decision.\r\n\"Until you actually go to a place\u00a0and you actually walk the halls, or see the painted eagle that used to be a fountain, or stand in the spiral staircase, or stand in the entryway looking up at the multiple layers and thinking about the history of our country, the veterans who have served and how this facility has served them, or listened to the comments that you hear in the town hall meetings, words on paper are different from feeling all of that.\"\u00a0\r\nPresident-Elect Donald\u00a0Trump is considering former Gov. Sarah Palin for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs position. With that being the case, McDonald is working with a timeline to come to a conclusion before Jan. 20, and he believes he can meet that deadline.\u00a0\r\n\"I did get some new data today. It's important that we've been in this rather purgatory situation here for sometime, and I don't think it's helpful to veterans, and I don't think it's helpful to employees. \"\r\nIn his closing statements, McDonald said he hasn't made a decision yet, but when he does, he assured the community that he will not compromise veteran care.\u00a0\r\nMcDonald toured the facility without the presence of the South Dakota congressional delegation. U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds, and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem wrote to McDonald, expressing their disappointment that he scheduled the tour while Congress was still in session. The lawmakers declared that by McDonald not meeting with them, he showed that he is not committed to having a fair discussion with the veteran community or addressing VA discrepancies.\r\nAfter the visit, Thune told NewsCenter1 that he's gald the secretary got to see the quality of care veterans receive at Hot Springs, and veteran feedback was important for McDonald to hear. Thune is hopeful the VA will make the \"right decision\" to keep Hot Springs open.\r\nNoem sounded off a more cautious note, saying she's troubled by the VA's decision to wait until the final days of the Obama Administration to visit the Hot Springs facility. She says she will not be discouraged from holding the agency accountable for its choices and their impact on South Dakota veterans. Noem says it's one of her top priorities to ensure veterans' voices are heard.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=59F73121-47AB-4C1B-BF36-47DDD996A998"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.373582985252142, "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"}