Congressmen Solomon P. Ortiz, Henry Cuellar and Rubén Hinojosa will welcome Congressman Steve Buyer, ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, on February 5-6 to the Rio Grande Valley to visit with local veterans and tour the South Texas VA Health Care Center in Harlingen.  The visit will allow Rep. Buyer, an Indiana Republican, to see the challenges faced by South Texas veterans.

Rep. Buyer will participate in a public forum with veterans at the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen on February 5 from 5:30-7pm. He will then tour the South Texas VA Health Care Center in Harlingen the following morning. All veterans are encouraged to attend the public forum.

“The only real solution in providing accessible and essential health care to our veterans is to provide more facilities. South Texas is growing by leaps and bounds, and we must have the proper facilities to take care of our heroes,” said Rep. Ortiz. “Reps. Hinojosa, Cuellar, and I are grateful for Rep. Buyer visiting and gaining a better perspective on the struggles and pain South Texas veterans face on a daily basis.”

 “For far too long, our South Texas veterans have suffered without access to the health care they deserve – in many cases having to travel hundreds of miles for services,” said Rep. Hinojosa. “Rep. Buyer’s visit will ensure that the plight of our veterans gets the attention it deserves in Washington. It is high time that these brave Texans experience a level of medical care that is worthy of their service to our nation.”

“Our South Texas veterans are in dire need of better access to healthcare, and they need these services closer to their homes. The men and women who serve our country deserve the very best healthcare that we can give them,” said Rep. Cuellar. “I commend Rep. Buyer for taking time off his busy schedule to visit the Rio Grande Valley and gain first-hand knowledge of critical issues facing South Texas veterans.”

Currently, veterans in the region must travel to San Antonio to the closest veterans’ hospital — a five-hour car ride that places additional stress on veterans and their families.

With Rep. Buyer’s visit, South Texas will now have played host to the top ranking members of this vital committee in Congress. Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner, D-Calif., spoke to South Texas veterans, elected officials, and local leaders last August.

The Veterans Affairs Committee is expected to consider legislation early in February on the construction of VA medical facilities throughout the country, making this a timely visit for Rep. Buyer.

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