President Donald Trump's Veterans Affairs secretary, Robert Wilkie, spent a half hour visiting the Staten Island Community VA Clinic, the borough's largest VA facility. At his side was the borough's Democratic congressman, Max Rose, an Afghanistan War veteran.

"It is absolutely essential that we cultivate the warriors who are in politics in the Congress and use them to get their perspective on what best suits veterans' needs," Wilkie said.

The clinic on South Avenue provides an array of services. 

The tour was closed to the press, but Wilkie and Rose said they spoke with veterans about the expanding Veterans Choice program, which allows many veterans facing waits for services to seek medical care outside of traditional VA facilities.

"The only thing that we are changing is that if we can't meet the immediate needs of the veteran, we give that veteran the choice, if that veteran desires, to go into the private sector," Wilkie said.

Some veterans groups, and some Democrats, have voiced concern that as the choice program grows, funding for facilities like this one will be cut. Rose insists that won't happen.

"Over our collective dead bodies will the VA actually be privatized," he said.

The community center serves about 2,600 veterans and is seen as a model for what veterans' services should look like.

Rose says it's a place where vets can receive a combination of services like primary care and mental health counseling.

Although the visit was arranged by Wilkie, it allowed Rose, one of the more vulnerable congressional Democrats in this year's election, to showcase his ability to work across the aisle on behalf of constituents.

It comes after the White House and Rose's likely Republican opponent this year bashed him for voting to impeach the president. 

"Partisanship stops when it comes to warriors," Wilkie said. "I believe that, and I know the congressman does as well." 

Rose, who has met with Wilkie several times in Washington, returned the compliment.

"The secretary is always putting veterans first, the interests of veterans first. Not politics, not anything else, but care and coordination for those who were there for us," he said.