House Votes to Build New Veterans Medical Facilities and Expand National Cemetery System at end of October 2003

Since 11-02-03

FYI -- Woody

Elwood A.D. "Woody" Lechausse
Veterans Serving Veterans

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Vietnam Veterans of America - October 30, 2003
(Press release provided courtesy of House Veterans Affairs Committee)

House Committee on Veterans Affairs
October 29, 2003
Press Release

House Votes to Build New Veterans Medical Facilities, Expand National Cemetery System

$1.4 Billion Authorized for New Construction and Repair of Existing Hospitals & Clinics

(Washington, DC) - The House of Representatives today unanimously passed new legislation authorizing $1.4 billion for the construction and repair of critically-needed veterans' medical care facilities. In separate action, the House also gave final approval to a bill that requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish six new national cemeteries within four years.

H.R. 1720, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act, sponsored by House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health Chairman Rob Simmons (CT), was approved by a vote of 417 to 0 and now goes to the Senate for their consideration.

"VA's invaluable health care infrastructure is in danger due to its size, age and construction funding shortfalls," said Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith of New Jersey. "In order to meet the health care needs of more than 5 million veterans today, and millions more in the future, we must make a serious commitment now to maintaining VA's existing medical facilities and, when warranted, building new ones," he said.

Subcommittee Chairman Rob Simmons, Prime Sponsor of H.R. 1720, said that "it will help us improve, upgrade and even replace VA facilities in specialized areas of concern, such as programs in spinal cord injury care, hemodialysis, long-term care, medical research and other high priorities, in order to provide a contemporary standard of care that veterans deserve and need."

As amended and approved by the House today, H.R. 1720 would:

* Authorize the construction of new VA health care facilities in Chicago (IL)

- $98.5 million; San Diego (CA) - $48.6 million; West Haven (CT) - $50 million; Columbus (OH) - $90 million; and Pensacola (FL) - $45 million;

* Authorize $300 million for the construction of a new medical facility near Denver, Colorado in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DOD);

* Authorize an additional $167 million in FY 2004 and $600 million in FY 2005 for the construction of major medical projects to be determined by VA;

* Authorize new leases for outpatient clinics in Charlotte (SC) and Las Vegas (NV);

* Require VA to meet the future inpatient needs of veterans in southern New Jersey and southern Texas;

* Require VA to study establishing a joint-venture medical facility with DOD and the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston (SC);

* Name a Medical Center in Chicago after former VA Secretary Jesse Brown,and an outpatient clinic in New London, CT, after John J. McGuirk;

* Establish an Office of Research Oversight within the Veterans Health Administration.

The House today also voted 412 to 0 to approve H.R. 1516, the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, as amended earlier this month by the Senate.

"In addition to providing a complete range of benefits and services to our nation's veterans, we must continue to honor those veterans who have passed
away, their memories and their families," said Committee Chairman Chris
Smith. "This legislation will help ensure that in the future, VA will be able to meet the burial needs of the 1.3 million veterans and their survivors who will be
served by these cemeteries," said Smith.

As approved by the House, H.R. 1516 directs VA to establish new national cemeteries in southeastern Pennsylvania; Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville,
Florida; Sarasota, Florida; Bakersfield, California; and Greenville/Columbia, South Carolina. The legislation authorizes VA to begin using Advance Planning
funds immediately and requires the new national cemeteries to be operational within four years.

H.R. 1516, which was sponsored by Rep. Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania, now goes to the President's desk for his signature.