The directive has sparked suspicion and outrage among the six Florida lawmakers, who say their staff has played a critical role in helping veterans receive the proper benefits they deserve.
Out of the 535 members of Congress, just six have congressional offices within U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities. Soon, that number will be zero.
VA Executive in Charge Richard Stone wrote that, because the"office space is for non-clinical purposes" and is"not authorized by law," acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has determined that all facilities are"no longer to permit the use of those spaces by Members of Congress and their staff." Mast, a double amputee who lost both his legs from an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan in 2010, opened the first congressional office inside a VA facility in 2017, allowing his staff to meet with more than 500 veterans since then.
The Army veteran and second-term congressman said the shared office that members of his staff and the other lawmakers take turns utilizing is the size of a storage closet.In a separate joint statement from Mast, Hastings and Deutch, the lawmakers said they"will explore all options to keep the office open." The shared office spaces are used free of charge, according to the VA, and were arranged via agreements with the local VAs.
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