[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E591-E592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      VETERANS' MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION ACT OF 2002

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                            HON. JERRY MORAN

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2002

  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Health of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, today I and Ranking 
Democratic Member, Mr. Filner of California, introduce a bill to 
authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to complete ten 
construction projects to improve, renovate, and update Veterans Affairs 
medical centers across the country.
  These older VA medical centers are in dire need of repair, and our 
veterans need and deserve quality health care in modern, well 
maintained, and safe buildings. The Veterans' Major Medical Facilities 
Construction Act is an important step that would provide authority to 
the Secretary to move forward on VA's highest construction priorities 
without further delay. The bill authorizes appropriations for each 
project, and limits each project to not exceed the level authorized. 
The total amount authorized for these projects is $285 million. The 
House VA Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing on this proposal on 
April 24th.
  The VA medical facilities receiving seismic upgrades and corrections 
or seismic bracing and anchorage of non-structural items include 
facilities in Palo Alto, San Francisco, West Los Angeles, Long Beach, 
and San Diego, California. These upgrades will bring each facility into 
conformance with current VA seismic standards. Completion of these 
construction projects will eliminate significant safety risks.
  Cleveland, Ohio's VA medical facility's mechanical and electrical 
systems will be replaced. Installed in 1961, they are in dire need of 
attention. Anchorage, Alaska's project involves the construction of a 
new combined Veterans Affairs Department of Defense facility, which 
will help address the workload and provide space for additional 
personnel. This project reflects our interest in having these two 
departments share health resources under Public Law 97-174, the 
Veterans Administration and Department of Defense Health Resources 
Sharing and Emergency Operations Act. The VA Medical Center in West 
Haven, Connecticut will see a variety of improvements: renovations to 
inpatient wards to correct patient privacy inadequacies, consolidation 
of support services, and corrections to deficiencies in air quality, 
ADA accessibility, and the general safety of patients and staff.
  The construction project for the VA medical facility in Tampa, 
Florida will relocate three Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) inpatient wards 
and ancillary support functions to the new SCI building just dedicated 
in February 2002. This will allow for more space and further expansion 
of the facility.
  The authorization level of $285 million is included in the resolution 
on the budget approved by the House on March 20, 2002. Mr.

[[Page E592]]

Speaker, I am very pleased and encouraged that the budget resolution 
the House approved included the funding necessary for this bill. I 
especially want to thank the Budget Committee Chairman, Mr. Nussle, and 
the Ranking Member, Mr. Spratt, for their understanding and support of 
these critical construction needs in the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to cosponsor and favorably 
consider this measure to improve the hospitals and clinics in which 
veterans receive their health care. We have no greater responsibility 
than to ensure VA facilities are safe and up-to-date. This bill will 
aid us in that effort and I am proud to introduce it and urge its early 
passage.

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