Rep. Goodlander urges funding for full-service VA center, Portsmouth shipyard and veteran services
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Summary
Rep. Goodlander told the House Appropriations Subcommittee that New Hampshire — home to more than 88,000 veterans — needs a full-service VA medical center, continued support for veterans programs and investments at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and child care to retain shipyard workers.
Rep. Goodlander told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs that New Hampshire is the only state in the contiguous U.S. without a full-service Veterans Affairs medical center and urged the committee to fund a feasibility study and action plan and to protect existing veterans programs.
She said President Trump issued an executive order directing a feasibility study by June 8 and an action plan by Sept. 6 to support a full-service VA medical center in New Hampshire, and she asked the committee and the administration to “fully fund this effort.”
Why it matters: Goodlander said New Hampshire has more than 88,000 veterans and that many, especially in rural “North Country” areas, drive more than two hours to reach clinics. She told the subcommittee that the nearest clinic to parts of northern New Hampshire is in Littleton and that veterans sometimes receive virtual appointments routed from Manchester, where the state’s current VA medical center operates.
Goodlander urged continued support for the State Veterans Home Program, the Veterans Affairs service‑purchasing program (which she said was terminated on May 1), the Veterans Crisis Line and peer-support specialists for women veterans, saying those programs are “a lifeline” and “a hand up” for veterans.
On military construction, Goodlander highlighted the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and asked the subcommittee to sustain ongoing expansion efforts and workforce investments. She said shipyard workers have faced hiring freezes, workforce cuts and uncertainty that have “undermined their mission” and called for continued support for Department of Defense child development centers to help retain personnel, particularly women.
Goodlander also described New Hampshire’s New Boston Space Force Station as “one of eight worldwide satellite control network tracking stations” and urged support for its mission, which includes GPS command-and-control work.
Discussion versus action: The witness requested committee support and funding but did not propose a formal motion or vote during the hearing. Goodlander’s requests were recorded as testimony for the subcommittee’s fiscal‑year 2026 considerations.
Quotations in context: Goodlander said, “No veteran should have to be fighting red tape to get health care benefits that they have earned in their service to our country.” She also told the panel, “These jobs, the work that's done at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard ... are really, really hard,” and stressed that uncertainty “makes it hard to complete their mission.”
Background and next steps: Committee members acknowledged the testimony and said they would consider the priorities as they draft the fiscal 2026 military construction and veterans affairs appropriations provisions. Goodlander concluded her remarks and yielded back.