New Mexico's U.S. senators to discuss veteran clinic closings

New Mexico’s U.S. senators are holding discussions with veterans this week on a recent recommendation to shut down smaller Department of Veterans Affairs’ health clinics in four New Mexico towns.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, an Albuquerque Democrat, will be at the VFW San Juan Argonne Post 1547 in Las Vegas, N.M., Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., according to a news release.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a Nambé Democrat, will hold a listening session with veterans concerned about the issue Wednesday. The event is scheduled to take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Student Union Ballroom on the New Mexico Highlands University campus. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Asset and Infrastructure Review, released in March, said the agency should centralize services in major hubs nationwide, where demand remains high. It recommends shutting down smaller facilities and letting community health centers provide services for veterans there. New Mexico clinics suggested for closure in the review include those in Española, Gallup, Las Vegas and Raton. The Las Vegas site saw a decrease in enrollment of over 55 percent in the past five years, the report says.

Both senators have been vocal in their desire to keep the clinics open.

“Closing these facilities will adversely affect the care they [veterans] receive and I will fight against any recommendation that closes facilities or requires our Veterans travel longer and further for care,” Luján said in a recent statement. “It is also unconscionable to push our veterans for VA care to local providers that are already strained.”