New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith (4th District),Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today called for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to spend $125 million to modernize the East Orange VA Medical Center. Smith, whose Committee oversees VA’s $30 billion health care budget, also asked VA to consider establishing a new full-service medical center for southern New Jersey. 

    Smith made his case this week to VA Secretary Anthony Principi both in a phone conversation and subsequently in writing. Yesterday, Principi announced plans to establish a federal advisory committee to help guide VA’s plans to close certain medical facilities in New York City that currently serve New Jersey veterans.

    "As VA continues moving forward with its plans to realign medical facilities across the country, it is imperative that adequate contingencies be in place to ensure that veterans today and twenty years from today continue having access to timely, comprehensive and conveniently-located health care," said Chairman Smith. "Secretary Principi assured me that my requests would be fully considered and that he was committed to maintaining modern, state-of-the-art health care facilities to serve New Jersey’s veterans," Smith said.

    "The East Orange VA Medical Center is the largest health care facility serving New Jersey veterans and has not undergone a significant modernization in decades," said Smith. "With closures and reductions planned for some New York City VA facilities that serve many New Jersey veterans, it is imperative that we invest in maintaining and modernizing the most important medical center serving our state’s almost 700,000 veterans," he said.

    Smith also received a verbal commitment from Secretary Principi to reconsider VA’s decision against building a new VA medical center in southern New Jersey. Smith and South Jersey Congressman Frank LoBiondo (1st District) have been working for several years to develop plans to provide comprehensive medical services to South Jersey veterans closer to home.

    "Frank LoBiondo and I are convinced that the current and future health care needs of these veterans are not being met," Smith wrote to Principi as a follow up to their conversation. "I am also concerned that the rate of growth, increased demand and shifts in workload between southern New York and northern New Jersey may further worsen access to health care for veterans of southern New Jersey," wrote Smith.

    Since being elected Chairman in January 2001, Smith has successfully fought for record increases in veterans funding and authored eleven laws that have created and enhanced veterans benefit programs and health care services. Smith was also the driving force behind the opening of two New Jersey VA outpatient clinics in Brick Township and Fort Monmouth.