Rep. Gabe Vasquez Continues Delivering for Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (N.M.-02) urged the House Veterans Affairs Committee to pass his bill, the New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act. The bill addresses the long-standing health care challenges faced by rural veterans in Otero and Eddy counties. It would reduce travel times for veterans in these counties while ensuring they are fully reimbursed for their travel expenses.

WATCH: Vasquez delivers remarks to House Veteran Affairs Committee

“Traveling long distances for basic care, referrals and other appointments creates incredible hardship for those who served our country - and it is not just long distances, it’s the dignity of care and extended waiting times,” said Vasquez. “As legislators, we cannot leave our rural veterans behind. The veteran integrated service networks were created to make sure veterans are organized into a system where they have access to what they need, but for the rural veterans in my district, that benefit does not exist.” 

Congressman Vasquez has been committed to supporting veterans throughout his tenure in office. Earlier this summer in Alamogordo, Vasquez sat down with veteran leaders from the Lincoln Otero County Veteran Leadership Council to discuss the continuing difficulties veterans face in accessing timely, affordable, and accessible health care from Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. 

Veterans in Otero and Eddy counties only receive reimbursement for traveling to their assigned VA facility in Albuquerque, almost four hours away, despite El Paso being significantly closer and more accessible. Vasquez is committed to working on a solution to permanently include Otero County veterans within the Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) lines that would give them access to the El Paso VA hospital–ensuring New Mexico’s rural veterans have access to their closest VA. 

In response to these ongoing issues, Congressman Vasquez has introduced the New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act. This bill aims to change the boundary of care for veterans in Otero and Eddy Counties, allowing them to access their closest VA hospital and nearby Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). This change will strip away unnecessary bureaucracy, drastically reduce wait times and ensure dignity for the veterans who have served our nation.

“Here in Alamogordo, veterans are struggling to attend required medical appointments and receive little to no money for mileage reimbursement when traveling to El Paso and Las Cruces, even though they are closer than our assigned VA facility in Albuquerque. We do not have buses anymore and are forced to drive without adequate reimbursement. I sincerely appreciate Vasquez’s dedication to finding a solution to the decades-old problem,” said USAF Retired Master Sgt. Roland ‘Coopdawg’ Cooper, Chairman of Lincoln Otero County Veterans Leadership Council. “As a veteran who has spent the past 30 years working with service members and veterans, let me make this point clear. Vasquez is a congressman whom I am glad to have met and has shown he is truly a unique leader. He is people-driven and will go the extra mile to help others.”

In July, Congressman Vasquez invited House Veteran Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) to the district to hear directly from veterans about their concerns. Veterans discussed their issues with accessing health care and the importance of the PACT Act. 

Last week, Congressman Vasquez also met with student veterans at New Mexico State University recently to discuss his new bill, the Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act. The bill would increase the yearly books and supply stipend, providing veterans with the necessary financial stability to focus on their studies and prepare for the future. 

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