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After Threat of Closure, Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center Will Remain Open

The center, located in South Brooklyn, was at risk of closing in March, due to a proposal by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Google Maps image of the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in May 2021.
Google Maps image of the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in May 2021.

The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Brooklyn will remain open, despite proposed plans to close it, reported the Brooklyn Eagle.

In March, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) submitted its proposal to the independent Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission. The decision to close the center was part of it.

Many local veterans and elected officials did not agree with the decision. As a result, they began protesting for months. On Tuesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer announced the Senate's final response.

“After months of fighting, I am pleased to announce that the Manhattan and Brooklyn VA Medical Centers are staying open and right where they are,” he said.

Closing the Brooklyn center, as well as the Manhattan one, had originally been part of a larger plan. According to the March recommendations, it would have decreased VA enrollment for veterans in metro New York by 23.1% over the next 10 years.

Bipartisan members of the U.S. Senate and members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee also opposed the decision.

New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan, also shared his response to the decision. He said, “Our government has an obligation to provide all veterans with the physical and mental health care and benefits they were not only promised but deserve. We owe that to them.”




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