[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E758-E759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 1720, VETERANS HEALTH CARE FACILITIES CAPITAL 
                            IMPROVEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB SIMMONS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2003

  Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing a new measure, the 
``Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act,'' that I 
intend will begin to address what has become a troubling and lingering 
problem in our Nation's veterans health care facilities: a crumbling 
and substandard patient-care infrastructure.
  Mr. Speaker, for the past several years, we have noted that the 
President's annual budget for VA health care has requested little or no 
funding for major medical facility construction projects for America's 
veterans. As we indicated last year in our report to the Committee on 
the Budget on the Administration's budget request for fiscal year 2004, 
VA has engaged in an effort through market-based research by 
independent organizations to determine whether the present VA facility 
infrastructures are meeting needs in the most appropriate manner, and 
whether services to veterans can be enhanced with alternative 
approaches. This process, called ``Capital Assets Realignment for 
Enhanced Services,'' or ``CARES,'' has entered into its second phase 
within the Department of Veterans Affairs. While VA has set an

[[Page E759]]

aggressive schedule for completing this process, we believe it will 
require several years before bearing fruit.
  Mr. Speaker, some VA hospitals, health care and research facilities 
need additional maintenance, repair and improvements to address 
immediate dangers and hazards, to promote safety and to sustain a 
reasonable standard of care for our Nation's veterans. In addition to 
reports from outside consultants and VA about the serious risk of 
seismic damage, VA has also identified $57 million in improvements 
needed to address women's health care; another report concluded that VA 
should be spending (at a minimum) from 2 percent to 4 percent of its 
``plant replacement value'' on upkeep and replacement of its health 
care facilities. This value in VA is at least $35 billion; thus, VA 
should be spending from $700 million to $1.4 billion each year to keep 
pace with its capital needs. In fact, in fiscal year 2003, VA will 
spend $137 million for these purposes.
  While Congress authorized a number of major VA medical construction 
projects over the past three fiscal years, very few have received 
funding through the appropriations process. I understand that some of 
the more recent deferrals of major VA construction were intended to 
permit CARES to proceed in an orderly way, avoiding unnecessary 
spending on VA health care facilities that might not be needed by 
veterans in the future. I agree with this policy in general, especially 
for those larger facility projects, ones that ordinarily would be 
considered under our regular annual construction authorization measure. 
We need to resist wasteful spending, especially when overall funds are 
so precious. But I believe that I have a better plan.
  Mr. Speaker, when I assumed the Chairmanship of the Veterans' 
Subcommittee on Health earlier this year, I asked what steps my 
colleagues and I might take immediately that could help veterans. The 
legislation that I am introducing today is part of this answer. This 
bill sets up a three-year program of delegated authorizations that 
would update, improve, establish, restore or replace VA health care 
facilities where needed. The Secretary would be given this authority to 
approve the individual facility projects, based on recommendations of 
an independent capital investments board and on criteria detailed in 
our bill that place a premium on projects to protect patient safety and 
privacy, improve seismic protection, provide barrier-free 
accommodations, and improve VA patient care facilities in several 
specialized areas of concern, such as privacy needs, specialized care 
programs and other high priorities of Congress, in order to meet the 
contemporary standard of care our veterans deserve and need.
  The bill would require the Secretary at the end of the process to 
report his actions to this Committee and to the Committee on 
Appropriations as well. The bill would also mandate a review of this 
delegated-project approach by the General Accounting Office, to ensure 
this is an effective mechanism to advance some VA medical construction 
during and after the CARES process.
  Mr. Speaker, our bill would authorize appropriations of $500 million 
in fiscal year 2004, $600 million in fiscal year 2005, and $700 million 
in fiscal year 2006, to accommodate construction projects under the 
authority provided. The total amount authorized matches that 
recommended by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to the Committee on 
the Budget earlier this year in our views and estimates for fiscal year 
2004. I believe we can make the case for this approach by doing 
something urgently needed by veterans, in the best traditions of our 
commitment to them, while staying consistent with the intent of the 
CARES process. I want our work to assure all our veterans, that in as 
many situations as possible, their health care and research facilities, 
and the critical maintenance and repair needs of these facilities, will 
not go unnoticed and unfunded by this Congress.

  Mr. Speaker, I trust that my colleagues will agree with me that this 
is a worthy bill. Last year, VA quickly identified 20 projects that 
would be appropriate for consideration under terms much like those 
contained in this bill. I am certain that in all sectors of the VA 
health care system there are more meritorious projects that need 
funding, and enactment of this bill would give the Secretary an 
opportunity to identify, consider, approve and develop them 
appropriately, with the authority and funds to do so. Many VA 
facilities need funds right now, on an emergency basis, for major 
construction and repair projects; other facilities have more chronic 
needs for restoration and capital improvements that have lingered 
unfunded for years. New VA health care and research facilities are also 
needed. In my judgment, we cannot afford to wait several years before 
beginning to meet these needs, when these projects confront the VA 
system, veterans, and Congress today.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill and help enact it 
as a high priority early this year.

                          ____________________