U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, right, visits the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque Thursday to discuss the needs of New Mexico’s military veterans and their families. Courtesy photo

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:

ALBUQUERQUE — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and newly appointed to serve as chairman of the Military Construction (MILCON), Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, visited the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque Thursday to discuss the needs of New Mexico’s military veterans and their families.

During his visit, Sen. Heinrich thanked VA officials and medical staff for their roles in providing COVID-19 testing and vaccine services to area-veterans, and for opening the medical center’s ICU beds to non-veterans from the Navajo Nation during the pandemic.

“I am thankful to see firsthand the quality care being provided to New Mexico’s veterans and their families at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center,” Heinrich said. “In a state with one of the highest rates of military volunteerism in the nation, I understand how critical it is to offer more than just words of gratitude when servicemembers return home. That is why, in my new role as chair, I am going to fight to secure the funding and resources needed to provide veterans the quality care and benefits they have earned. I will be especially focused on ensuring a robust Covid-19 vaccination program through the entire VA system, improving telehealth services for rural veterans, and providing better health care and housing assistance for veterans experiencing homelessness.”

Sen. Heinrich spoke with Medical Center Director Andrew Welch Thursday, about the expansion of the Spinal Cord Injury Center. The Albuquerque Expand Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) project was approved and included in the VA’s FY21 budget request. The construction project has a total estimated cost of $13.75 million, and will expand the existing SCI unit by approximately 13,250 square feet, including the addition of 10 private rooms to increase patient privacy.

In his new role as chairman, Sen. Heinrich will oversee all funding for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which provides health care services to millions of veterans, benefits to help service members transition back to civilian life, and national cemeteries that provide tributes to service members’ sacrifice to our nation.

Sen. Heinrich is fighting to help the Biden-Harris administration pass the American Rescue Plan that will ramp up equitable testing and vaccine distribution for veterans.

Wednesday, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that nationally, the VA had vaccinated its 1 millionth veteran with their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. To date, VA has vaccinated 329,685 veterans with a second dose.