The Veterans Affairs Department wants to shut down some aging hospitals and clinics, but gaining congressional support for the strategy is likely to be difficult, according to a report in Navy Times. The strategy resembles the base realignment and closure (BRAC) rounds that the military sometimes undertakes when Congress approves.
In recent budget testimony before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said the department spends more than $24 million a year to maintain 336 buildings that are unused or less than half-occupied.
“VA cannot be a sound steward of the taxpayers’ resources with the asset portfolio that we’re currently carrying,” McDonald told lawmakers. “No business would carry such a portfolio. Veterans deserve much better. It’s time to close the VA’s old substandard and underutilized infrastructure.”
