Congresswoman Pou Brings House Colleague Overseeing VA Budget to Visit Paterson Veterans Clinic

PATERSON, NJ – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) visited the Paterson Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, touring the facility, meeting with staff and patients, and answering questions. Pou was joined by her colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. 

Following their tour, the congresswomen met with local veterans’ community leaders. 

“For generations, the VA has been one of cornerstones of American life. It provides some of the most important work and services in our entire government,” said Congresswoman Pou. “I wanted to visit the clinic to thank the staff for their vital work and ask what they needed from Congress. The VA’s existence is a fulfillment of our promise to veterans to take care of them for all they’ve done for our country. As a top House appropriator for the VA, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz reiterated our opposition to massive proposed cuts to the VA and shared support for the VA and VA staff.”

“The critical, quality health services that VA provide to our veterans must be strengthened, and I’m proud of all the work Congresswoman Pou does in Washington to ensure that the primary and specialty care they receive is top notch,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. “The successes and challenges that Passaic Clinic staff shared with us will be vital to share in Congress. The VA takes care of those who took care of all of us, and seeing and hearing about the work that is being done on those health care front lines was crucial as Democrats fight efforts to cut, freeze or privatize VA health services.”

Last year alone, the VA reached nine million enrollees for physical and mental care and delivered over 127 million health care appointments. Military veterans make up nearly one-third of all federal employees. The VA itself also employs tens of thousands of veterans, a good deal of whom could lose their jobs in a department-wide purge of workers. 

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