[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2099, DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND 
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 1996

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                               speech of

                            HON. FRANK RIGGS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 13, 1995

  Mr. RIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank my colleague from 
California [Mr. Lewis] the Chairman of the VA/HUD Appropriations 
Subcommittee, for his work on this bill under difficult circumstances. 
His diligence and hard work are to be commended.
  As a veteran myself, I am particularly sensitive to the importance of 
keeping our promises to our veterans.
  Shortly before the House of Representatives was to consider the 
conference report on the VA/HUD and related agencies bill, I learned 
the Clinton administration, in a ``statement of administration 
policy,'' had failed to mention the lack of a VA replacement hospital 
at Travis Air Force Base as a reason for a potential Presidential veto. 
Earlier in the month, the administration had pledged its support to the 
hospital in a letter from Office of Management and Budget Director 
Alice Rivlin to the chairman of the House of Appropriations Committee, 
Robert Livingston.
  In light of this apparent reversal of administration policy, I feel 
that I have no choice but to support the fiscal year 96 VA/HUD 
Appropriations Bill. It contains $25 million for a new state-of-the-art 
VA outpatient clinic at Travis Air Force Base, in addition to a $400 
million increase in the VA medical accounts. This is especially 
important since every other account in the bill, except those 
pertaining to veterans, was significantly reduced.
  The Travis outpatient facility will meet the immediate health care 
needs of most Solano County and northern California veterans. I feel a 
moral obligation to do what is right for my fellow vets and to support 
any measure that will have a positive impact upon the region.
  I was dismayed that the conference committee provided only $25 
million for the outpatient clinic at Travis. I had worked to secure 
additional funding in light of the Veterans Administration's 
recommendation of $39.5 million in funding for the outpatient clinic.
  With a projected 85,000 annual outpatient visits, the new facility 
will meet the needs of most veterans who require ambulatory care. 
However, I still believe there is the urgent need to attend to the 
acute medical needs of northern California's veterans.
  The very survival of the outpatient facility was placed in jeopardy 
due to a November 29 stalling tactic that sent the conference report 
back to committee. I was told by VA Chairman Lewis that the motion 
could have jeopardized the clinic if the committee had been forced to 
reallocate funds among competing accounts.
  Further delay in enacting the VA/HUD appropriations bill could force 
the legislation to be integrated into a full-year continuing 
resolution. Under that scenario, virtually all programs, including 
veterans' medical care and construction projects, will receive less 
than under the conference agreement. This would leave the veterans of 
northern California at a severe disadvantage. Those individuals who 
could delay or defeat this appropriations bill would be putting their 
political whims before the needs of our veterans.
  By no means should my support for this bill signal that I am 
abandoning the long-term goal of building a replacement hospital at 
Travis Air Force Base.
  It has become clear to me that full funding for the proposed 
replacement hospital is not possible this year. I cannot ignore present 
fiscal realities. Rather than contribute to budget gridlock, I must do 
what is best for northern California veterans and support this bill.

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