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Malliotakis Welcomed Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to Staten Island Community Clinic

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis
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(Limitless Monday will return next week, after the New Year) 

Malliotakis Welcomed VA Secretary Doug Collins to Staten Island Community Clinic

Editor’s note: Community clinics were one of the topics of discussion during the telephone town hall the congresswoman hosted a few months ago.  

(STATEN ISLAND, NY) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) welcomed Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to the Staten Island Community-Based Outpatient Clinic for a roundtable and site visit at the clinic on Friday, December 5. They were also joined by Timothy Graham, Executive Medical Center Director; Rosemary Cancel-Santiago, Deputy Executive Center Director of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System; Joan McInerney, VISN 2 Network Director; and other NY-11 veteran leaders. At the clinic, Secretary Collins also met with leaders from local veteran organizations.

At their roundtable, Secretary Collins and Rep. Malliotakis discussed several key issues impacting local veterans in NY-11. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Collins, the backlog of veterans waiting for VA compensation and pension benefits has decreased by more than 57% since January 20, 2025. In Fiscal Year 2025, the VA permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans across the country, the highest total in seven years. They also discussed current initiatives aimed at increasing nursing staffing and recruitment, expanding the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program to full capacity at the Brooklyn VA, and expanding access at Brooklyn’s Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Clinic.

They also addressed the lack of access to specialty doctors at the Brooklyn VA Hospital and the Staten Island Outpatient Clinic, which has forced many veterans to travel to Manhattan or the Bronx for specialized care. The group discussed with the Secretary the possibility of bringing in certain specialty providers on a monthly basis so veterans can schedule appointments locally and reduce the burden of long-distance travel.

Last month, the 2026 Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill was signed into law by President Trump, which increased funding to over $115 billion specifically for veterans’ medical care, which includes:

In July, the VA announced an additional $800 million to be invested in infrastructure improvements to ensure its facilities provide safe, effective patient care.

“It was an honor to welcome Secretary Collins to Staten Island. Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve consistently supported legislation that prioritizes and improves care for our veterans — including our recent Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which increased total funding for veterans’ medical care and benefits, and the PACT Act, which expanded VA health care and benefits for those exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances from the Vietnam and Gulf War eras to Post-9/11 veterans,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Secretary to strengthen our veterans’ access to the high-quality care they deserve after serving our nation. Under President Trump, a Republican Congress and Secretary Collins’ leadership, backlogs and wait times have been significantly reduced and the most homeless veterans have been housed in seven years.”

“Under the leadership of President Trump, we are transforming VA from a bureaucratic organization to a service organization, cutting red tape and placing Veterans at the center of everything we do along the way,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “The concerns of local Veterans and employees – like those at the Staten Island Community VA Clinic – are guiding our efforts to make the department work better for the Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors we are charged with serving.”

Recent Veterans Legislation Passed Out of the House

 

Rep. Malliotakis and VA Secretary Collins at a roundtable with other VA officials and touring the Staten Island Community Clinic.. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis

Rep. Malliotakis and VA Secretary Collins at a roundtable with other VA officials and touring the Staten Island Community Clinic.. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis

 

Banner Image:  Rep. Malliotakis and VA Secretary Collins at a roundtable with other VA officials and touring the Staten Island Community Clinic.. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis


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Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was sworn in on January 3, 2021 to represent Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn. Prior to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010, defeating a two-term incumbent. In the Assembly, she served as Minority Whip and the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees. For five terms, Congresswoman Malliotakis fought to restore ethics in Albany, expand transit service in her district, improve programs for senior citizens, reform education and improve New York’s economic climate by reducing the tax burden on small businesses and residents. A cornerstone of her tenure was helping her community recover and rebuild following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In addition to advocating for these same issues in Washington, Congresswoman Malliotakis is acutely focused on securing New York’s fair share of federal mass transit funding, which would go towards expanding transportation services and easing traffic congestion, while also championing public safety by supporting our nation’s law enforcement officers. Congresswoman Malliotakis is the daughter of immigrants, her father from Greece and her mother a Cuban exile of the Castro dictatorship. She is currently the only Republican member representing New York City in Congress, representing a district spanning the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. She is a passionate advocate for animal rights and the strengthening of animal cruelty laws, and in her spare time, enjoys spending time with her chihuahua, Peanut.