To hear Senator Capito’s questioning, click here or the image above.


WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, participated in a hearing today to review the FY23 Budget and FY24 Advance Appropriations Requests for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Senator Capito discussed with VA Secretary Denis McDonough current recommendations to eliminate certain hospital services for veterans in West Virginia, which she has expressed deep concerns about, and received an update on the implementation of her legislation to improve transparency and safety at VA hospitals through security cameras.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON IMPLEMENTING CAPITO LEGISLATION TO INSTALL CAMERAS IN VA HOSPITALS:

SENATOR CAPITO:

“Because of the things that happened at the Lewis Johnson Veterans Facility, I was able, with the support of my colleagues, to ask the VA to install more cameras because that would have helped us a lot in trying to get the perpetrator a lot quicker than we did. And I think you have to report back by November the 23rd. I just wanted to put that on your radar screen to see if you had any comments on how that project is going and what kind of future you see.”

SECRETARY MCDONOUGH:

“So, it's on my radar screen. Partly because of this hearing, partly because you and I talk on a very regular basis and I know how important it is you. We have deployed the cameras. So we are beginning to use them and beginning to make these initial assessments. There is some privacy concerns as you're aware of that we're working through, but we'll be in a position to surely make that report to you in a timely way.”

ON VA PROPOSAL TO CUT SERVICES AT THREE OF WV’S FOUR MEDICAL CENTERS: “I want to ask you about the Asset and infrastructure Review (AIR). I want to make sure I understand the process, not just the process. So, we have four VAs in West Virginia. It looks as though three of them will, in this recommendation, will be essentially closed. Emergency rooms closed, and other recommendations. And I'm wondering, number one, how you came to the conclusion? There's a big uproar in our state. We've already sent you a letter. I'm sure you've heard from other members of our delegation on this…and other delegations. So can it be changed? Is it like a BRAC where you come back with another final recommendation?”

ON NEED TO FULLY CONSIDER IMPACT BEFORE CHANGES TO VA SYSTEMS IN WV: “Just as an example, the Huntington VA is over Charleston. Charleston has a CBOC [Community-based outpatient clinics]. 15 years ago we moved the CBOC to a bigger place to get better accessibility from southern West Virginia and other places. This recommendation is that you move it again. And I'm thinking, that sounds like a giant waste of money. That state’s move their VA offices down there to co-locate and I'm thinking, I don't understand…the other thing is, when you looked at what local resources had did they look at what they could actually provide? So, I'm talking to a hospital administrator. I said if they close the Huntington VA, can you absorb the surgeries? And they're like, ‘we don't really know.’”

# # #