In Lakes Region, Pappas Tours Small Business Manufacturing COVID-19 Equipment; Visits with Veteran to Discuss VA Reform Bill

Left: Congressman Pappas speaks with Orion Entrance Control Founder and CEO Steve Caroselli. Right: Pappas meets with Jeff Varney in Tilton

LACONIA, NH - Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) held two events in New Hampshire's Lakes Region focusing on small business and veterans issues.

Pappas visited Orion Entrance Control in Laconia, which has shifted their production to manufacture products to assist in the response to COVID-19. Pappas also met with Jeff Varney, a Tilton veteran who would benefit from legislation that Congressman Pappas introduced to reform the VA's debt collection process.

At Orion Entrance Control, Pappas met with founder Steve Caroselli and took a tour of their Laconia Facility. Orion, which manufactures control and security turnstiles and software, has developed the Orion Pre-Entry Temperature Reader in response to COVID-19. These are devices that provide instant, no-touch temperature readings to help screen for COVID-19 in places like schools, office buildings, and hospitals.

"New Hampshire Small businesses are meeting this moment and stepping up to help our response to COVID-19," said Congressman Pappas. "I'm grateful for the innovative work Orion is doing to produce critical equipment that will help keep our schools, businesses, and hospitals safe. Small businesses drive New Hampshire's economy, and I will continue to fight for additional relief for Main Street. It is critical we reach a bipartisan compromise to help our state weather the storm."

Click here to see photos from this event.

Congressman Pappas, Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, also met with veteran Jeff Varney at his home in Tilton. Earlier this year, Mr. Varney contacted Congressman Pappas's office asking for assistance resolving an issue with VA debt collection that he was facing. Mr. Varney was told that he owed the VA about $11,000, stemming from an overpayment, which he disputes.

Congressman Pappas's office is currently working with the VA to resolve this debt issue for Mr. Varney. As a result of hearing stories like Mr. Varney's, Congressman Pappas introduced the Stopping Harm and Implementing Enhanced Lead-time for Debts for Veterans Act (or the SHIELD for Veterans Act).

This bill would reform the VA's debt collection process and protect veterans like Mr. Varney from being forced to repay VA overpayments that are the result of mistakes in disability payouts, changes in eligibility, or simple accounting errors. These have resulted in financial difficulties for hundreds of thousands of veterans, especially those living on fixed incomes.

"There are billions of dollars in overpayments from the VA that veterans are on the hook to repay through no fault of their own. This is a frustrating process that has to be reformed," said Chairman Pappas. "It is unacceptable that VA's mistakes or inefficiencies are hurting the men and women they are supposed to serve, like Jeff Varney in Tilton. The experiences of Jeff and countless veterans throughout the country led me to introduce the SHIELD for Veterans Act. This bill reforms VA's debt collection process and ensures we are making good on the promises we have made to our veterans. I can't thank Jeff enough for his service to our country and for his willingness to share his story to help us find a solution."

The VA overpayment system generated and then collected $1.6 billion in debt from veterans in the last fiscal year.

Congressman Chris Pappas and veteran Jeff Varney discuss Jeff's VA debt issue, and legislation Congressman Pappas introduced that would reform the VA's debt collection process

Click here to see photos from this event.

In late July, The SHIELD for Veterans Act passed a crucial House Committee on Veterans' Affairs vote with unanimous, bipartisan support.

In April, Congressman Pappas introduced a package of two bills to protect New Hampshire veterans in the face of an unprecedented public health emergency. These measures would temporarily suspend VA debt collection efforts and ensure that Granite State veterans can access emergency care without incurring massive medical bills during the coronavirus pandemic.

In July, following Pappas's effort to temporarily suspend VA debt collection efforts during the pandemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it will extend debt relief to veterans adversely impacted by COVID-19 by suspending debt collections under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department through 2020.

Higher resolution photos of both of these events for publication are available upon request.

###