VA Secretary Bob McDonald testified to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee that the department has 336 buildings nationwide that are less than half-occupied, many of which are completely unused.
The combined maintenance cost for such sites totals above $24 million each year.
Secretary McDonald also pointed out that 1,300 of VA facilities are at least 70 years old and are in dire need of upgrades and new infrastructure.
Business logic would point to the need to close some of these underutilized buildings. In his testimony, Secretary McDonald stated, “”No business would carry such a portfolio. Veterans deserve much better. It’s time to close the VA’s old substandard and underutilized infrastructure.”
However, the political reality is far more complicated. As one Florida representative quipped “We support closing some of the VA facilities…just as long as you don’t close any in Florida.”
Indeed, closures would mean the loss of jobs, angry constituents at home for congressional representatives, and most importantly, reduced services. For similar reasons, lawmakers fought hard in 2012 against the Pentagon’s pleas for base closures.
Two legislative directors of national veterans organizations offered up contrasting viewpoints on the issue.
Ray Kelley, legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, told Congress that VA shouldn’t be paying for space it isn’t using, but added that any such moves need to be done in a way that doesn’t frighten veterans already concerned about access to VA programs.
Paralyzed Veterans of America National Legislation Director Carl Blake said rather than close buildings, VA should find other ways to use the space. He thinks it’s time for the department to think outside the box, such as opening some of these facilities to homeless veterans.
VA officials have not developed a formal list of facilities to be closed or a plan for how to actually shed the extra space. McDonald said he hopes to work with Congress in the months to come as part of larger conversations about eliminating waste within his department’s budget.
You can read more on this issue at Military Times: http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2015/02/17/va-brac-proposal/23545103/
