H.R. 3083 will accelerate privatization of the VHA by changing the launch date of one of the most problematic parts of the VA MISSION Act—the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission.

The VA MISSION Act mandates the creation of an Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission whose nine members are appointed by the president. These appointments are supposed to include at least three members of veterans service organizations (VSOs), as well as health-care industry representatives and other key stakeholders. At the signing ceremony for the MISSION Act, President Trump insisted he would not be bound by this provision, while simultaneously praising the legislation.

The president is expected to submit nominations for Senate approval by May 2021, and the commission is supposed to meet during 2022 and 2023. Whatever its composition, the commission will compile a list of facilities to “modernize or realign”—shorthand for closing, consolidating, or reconfiguring VHA facilities. It resembles the Base Realignment and Closure process for military facilities. The entire list of facilities to be “modernized or realigned” must be voted up or down quickly by Congress, leaving legislators with no input about which facilities should be closed. Because of its dangers, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced legislation to do away with the commission entirely.

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