Senator Gallego presses Department of Veterans Affairs on Yuma facility

WASHINGTON (KYMA) - Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) pressed officials on plans to ensure veterans will receive care, also raising concerns about a medical facility set to open in Yuma.

During the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (VA) hearing Wednesday, Senator Gallego pressed the Department of Veterans Affairs on care concerns.

A Veterans Affairs medical facility is planned to open in Yuma by summer 2027. It would provide primary care, mental health services, labs and more for local veterans.

The Department imposed staffing caps, which would not allow the Yuma facility to hire staff. The facility would instead have to pull providers from other Veterans Affairs hospitals in Arizona.

“How can you guarantee that veterans in Yuma will be able to get medical care if there are these staffing caps are still existing?” Senator Gallego asked VA Secretary Doug Collins. “How can I look my constituents in the eye and tell them that this VA does not understand that they are essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul and potentially not creating a fully functioning system in one place?”

You can watch the full hearing here.