Pappas Continues to Fight for Manchester VA Improvements

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Ranking Member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, continued his push for updates at the Manchester VA Medical Center (VAMC) by requesting an update from Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), Doug Collins, on VA’s ongoing efforts for the construction and expansion of new facilities at the Manchester VAMC. Pappas underscored the importance of sustaining the project's momentum through the remainder of this fiscal year and into Fiscal Year (FY) 2027.

Pappas highlighted that the funding for the Manchester VAMC improvements will be delivered through FY 2027 appropriations he helped shape, “In the case of the Manchester VAMC, the necessary funding is included in the FY 2027 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act that passed the House earlier this year. That legislation provided more than $2 billion for VA Major Construction projects and recurring expenses, funding that could be put towards implementing the Manchester VA project. The legislation passed the House with wide bipartisan support, after the House adopted an amendment that I offered emphasizing support for the Manchester VAMC improvements.”

Pappas emphasized that the Trump administration will be able to use that funding for the project as soon as FY 2027 appropriations are signed into law, regardless of authorization status, writing, “Projects like this are regularly begun by presidential administrations, including yours, once the money has been appropriated. For example, the VA started construction to upgrade the St. Louis John Cochran VA Medical Center in Spring 2025. Authorization for that project was only enacted two weeks ago through S. 2393, more than seven months after FY 2026 appropriations were signed into law and more than year after construction began. The VA’s authority to start construction efforts at Manchester once funding has been appropriated is well established.”

Pappas closed by urging the Administration to proceed without delay, and take all efforts to prepare for the project as soon as the relevant appropriations are made, “Given your Administration’s support for these improvements and the necessary funding available in the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, I urge you to do everything in your power to make this project a reality and begin the improvements as soon as possible following enactment. Please respond no later than July 15 with the current status of the Department’s efforts to upgrade the Manchester VAMC and projected next steps once this funding is signed into law.”

The full letter can be found here.

Background: 

Last year Pappas led the New Hampshire delegation in introducing the Veterans Full-Service Care and Access Act, legislation that would require the VA to operate at least one full-service Veterans Health Administration hospital in each of the 48 contiguous states. He has consistently pressed the Department of Veterans Affairs to take every necessary step to improve care for veterans across New Hampshire. 

In 2022 Pappas fought back against and stopped a Biden administration plan to close Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in Conway, Somersworth, and Portsmouth. Thanks to Pappas's advocacy, no Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in New Hampshire closed, and veterans continue to receive care in their communities.