Nolan Announces Restoration of Veterans I.D. Service at Twin Ports Clinic
(DULUTH, MN) – Beginning December 1st, northern Minnesota veterans will once again be able to obtain their official Veterans Identification Cards at the Twin Ports Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Superior, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan announced today.
Nolan received the official word from top officials at the U.S. Veterans Administration (V.A.) following his September 30 letter to V.A. Secretary Robert McDonald explaining the hardship many vets in the region face in traveling to either Minneapolis or St. Cloud for the card, and urging that the service be restored at the earliest possible date.
“I am grateful to Secretary McDonald for responding so quickly to my request to restore this essential service to veterans who use the Twin Ports Clinic,” Nolan said. “As I pointed out to the Secretary, many of our veterans – particularly those with low incomes and disabilities – have experienced undue financial and physical hardship to make the long trip to Minneapolis or St. Cloud to obtain the official I.D. card they are entitled to for serving our nation. I’m pleased to have initiated a quick and permanent solution to that problem.”
The I.D. service had been eliminated from Twin Ports as part of a budget-cutting move. However, Nolan pointed out that the V.A. funding bill he supported – passed earlier this year by Congress – contained increases to ensure that veterans in rural areas have wide ranging access to local medical care and essential services. “The V.A. now has the resources it needs to assure that veterans in our region are better served,” Nolan added.
While not required for medical care, the Veterans I.D. card is necessary for many other benefits and services veterans enjoy. Nolan explained that beginning December 1, veterans in Duluth and throughout northern Minnesota can go to the Twin Ports clinic to get their pictures taken and complete the necessary forms. V.A. staff from the Twin Cities will travel to the clinic on a regular basis to process the cards.