[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 113 (Wednesday, September 13, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6453-H6459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL FACILITY AUTHORIZATION ACT OF
2006
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5815) to authorize major medical facility projects and major
medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for
fiscal years 2006 and 2007, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows
H.R. 5815
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Authorization Act of
2006''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Authorization of major medical facility project, Biloxi and
Gulfport, Mississippi.
Sec. 3. Authorization of design, construction, and operation of major
medical facility project, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sec. 4. Authorization of design, construction, and operation of a major
medical facility project, Charleston, South Carolina.
Sec. 5. Authorization of site purchase for major medical facility
project, replacement site, Denver Colorado.
Sec. 6. Extension of authorization for certain major medical facility
construction projects previously authorized in connection
with Capital Asset Realignment Initiative.
Sec. 7. Authorization of major medical facility leases.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 9. Sense of Congress and report on option for medical facility
improvements in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Sec. 10. Land conveyance, city of Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
Sec. 11. Establishment within the Department of Veterans Affairs of a
career position responsible for Department-wide
construction and facilities management.
Sec. 12. Business plans for enhanced access to outpatient care in
certain rural areas.
Sec. 13. Report on option for construction of a Department of Veterans
Affairs medical center in Okaloosa County, Florida.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECT,
BILOXI AND GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI.
(a) Project Authorization.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may carry out a major medical facility project for
restoration of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center, Biloxi, Mississippi, and consolidation of services
performed at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center, Gulfport, Mississippi.
(b) Cost Limitation.--The project authorized by subsection
(a) shall be carried out in an amount not to exceed
$310,000,000.
(c) Requirement for Joint-Use Facility.--The project
authorized by subsection (a) may only be carried out as part
of a joint-use facility shared by the Department of Veterans
Affairs with Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND OPERATION
OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECT, NEW ORLEANS,
LOUISIANA.
(a) Agreement Authorized.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may enter into an agreement with the Louisiana State
University to design, construct, and operate a co-located,
joint-use medical facility in or near New Orleans to replace
the medical center facility for the Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, damaged by
Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
(b) Cost Limitation.--Advance planning and design for a co-
located, joint-use medical facility in or near New Orleans
under subsection (a) shall be carried out in an amount not to
exceed $100,000,000.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND OPERATION
OF A MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECT,
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
(a) Agreement Authorized.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may enter into an agreement with the Medical
University of South Carolina to design, construct, and
operate a co-located joint-use medical facility in
Charleston, South Carolina, to replace the Ralph H. Johnson
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston,
South Carolina.
(b) Cost Limitation.--Advance planning and design for a co-
located, joint-use medical facility in Charleston, South
Carolina, under subsection (a) shall be carried out in an
amount not to exceed $70,000,000.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF SITE PURCHASE FOR MAJOR MEDICAL
FACILITY PROJECT, REPLACEMENT SITE, DENVER
COLORADO.
(a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
enter into an agreement to purchase a site for the
replacement of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center, Denver, Colorado, in an amount not to exceed
$98,000,000.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a report identifying and
outlining the various options available to the Department for
replacing the current Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center, Denver, Colorado. The report shall include the
following:
(1) The feasibility of entering into a partnership with a
Federal, State, or local governmental agency, or a suitable
non-profit organization, for the construction and operation
of a new facility.
(2) The medical, legal, and financial implications of each
of the options identified, including recommendations
regarding any statutory changes necessary for the Department
to carry out any of the options identified.
(3) A detailed cost-benefit analysis of each of the options
identified.
(4) Estimates regarding the length of time and associated
costs needed to complete such a facility under each of the
options identified.
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR CERTAIN MAJOR MEDICAL
FACILITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS PREVIOUSLY
AUTHORIZED IN CONNECTION WITH CAPITAL ASSET
REALIGNMENT INITIATIVE.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the
following major medical facility projects, with each such
project to be carried out in the amount specified for that
project:
(1) Construction of an outpatient clinic and regional
office at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Anchorage, Alaska, in an amount not to exceed $75,270,000.
(2) Consolidation of clinical and administrative functions
of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Cleveland, Ohio, and the Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Brecksville, Ohio, in an amount not to exceed
$102,300,000.
(3) Construction of the extended care building at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Des Moines,
Iowa, in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000.
(4) Renovation of patient wards at the Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, in
an amount not to exceed $9,100,000.
(5) Correction of patient privacy deficiencies at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville,
Florida, in an amount not to exceed $85,200,000.
(6) 7th and 8th floor wards modernization addition at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis,
Indiana, in an amount not to exceed $27,400,000.
(7) Construction of a new medical center facility at the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Las Vegas,
Nevada, in an amount not to exceed $406,000,000.
(8) Construction of an ambulatory surgery/outpatient
diagnostic support center in the Gulf South Submarket of
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 and completion
of Phase I land purchase, Lee County, Florida, in an amount
not to exceed $65,100,000.
(9) Seismic corrections, Buildings 7 and 126, Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, California, in
an amount not to exceed $107,845,000.
(10) Seismic corrections, Buildings 500 and 501, Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Los Angeles, California,
in an amount not to exceed $79,900,000.
(11) Construction of a new medical center facility,
Orlando, Florida, to be located at the site in Lake Nona
known as site selection C, which is directly south of the
interchange between SR-417 and Lake Nona Boulevard and is
part of a science and research park that is likely to include
the proposed campus of the medical school of the University
of Central Florida, in an amount not to exceed $377,700,000.
(12) Consolidation of campuses at the University Drive and
H. John Heinz III divisions, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in an
amount not to exceed $189,205,000.
(13) Ward upgrades and expansion at the Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, in an
amount not to exceed $19,100,000.
(14) Construction of a spinal cord injury center,
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Syracuse, New
York, in an amount not to exceed $77,700,000.
(15) Upgrade essential electrical distribution systems,
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa,
Florida, in an amount not to exceed $49,000,000.
(16) Expansion of the spinal cord injury center addition,
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa,
Florida, in an amount not to exceed $7,100,000.
(17) Blind rehabilitation and psychiatric bed renovation
and new construction project, Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Temple, Texas, in an amount not to exceed
$56,000,000.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES.
(a) Fiscal Year 2006 Leases.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may carry out the
[[Page H6454]]
following major medical facility leases in fiscal year 2006
at the locations specified, in an amount for each lease not
to exceed the amount specified for that location:
(1) For an outpatient clinic, Baltimore, Maryland,
$10,908,000.
(2) For an outpatient clinic, Evansville, Indiana,
$8,989,000.
(3) For an outpatient clinic, Smith County, Texas,
$5,093,000.
(b) Fiscal Year 2007 Leases.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may carry out the following major medical facility
leases in fiscal year 2007 at the locations specified, in an
amount for each lease not to exceed the amount specified for
that location:
(1) For an outpatient and specialty care clinic, Austin,
Texas, $6,163,000.
(2) For an outpatient clinic, Lowell, Massachusetts,
$2,520,000.
(3) For an outpatient clinic, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
$4,409,000.
(4) For up to four outpatient clinics, Las Vegas, Nevada,
$8,518,000.
(5) For an outpatient clinic, Parma, Ohio, $5,032,000.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006
Major Medical Facility Projects.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal
year 2006 for the Construction, Major Projects, account, a
total of $578,000,000, of which--
(1) $310,000,000 is for the project authorized in section
2;
(2) $100,000,000 is for the advance planning and design
authorized in section 3;
(3) $70,000,000 is for the advanced planning authorized in
section 4; and
(4) $98,000,000 is for the purchase of a site authorized in
section 5.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations for Major Medical
Facility Projects Under Capital Asset Realignment
Initiative.--There is authorized to be appropriated for the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007 for the
Construction, Major Projects, account, $1,758,920,000 for the
projects specified in section 6.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations for Major Medical
Facility Leases.--
(1) Fiscal year 2006 leases.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal
year 2006 for the Medical Care account, $24,990,000 for the
leases authorized in section 7(a).
(2) Fiscal year 2007 leases.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal
year 2007 for the Medical Care account, $26,642,000 for the
leases authorized in section 7(b).
(d) Limitation.--The projects authorized in sections 2, 3,
4, 5, and 6 may only be carried out using--
(1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2006 or 2007
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in
subsections (a), (b), and (c);
(2) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a
fiscal year before fiscal year 2006 that remain available for
obligation;
(3) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a
fiscal year after fiscal year 2006 or 2007 that are available
for obligation; and
(4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects,
for fiscal year 2006 or 2007 for a category of activity not
specific to a project.
SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS AND REPORT ON OPTION FOR MEDICAL
FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO.
(a) Sense of Congress.--Recognizing that concern for the
need for medical facility improvements in San Juan, Puerto
Rico, is not being adequately addressed, it is the sense of
Congress that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take
steps to explore all options for addressing that concern,
including the option of a public/private partnership to
construct and operate a facility that would replace the
current Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in San
Juan, Puerto Rico.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a report identifying and
outlining the various options available to the Department for
replacing the current Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The report shall include the
following:
(1) The feasibility of entering into a partnership with a
Federal, Commonwealth, or local governmental agency, or a
suitable non-profit organization, for the construction and
operation of a new facility.
(2) The medical, legal, and financial implications of each
of the options identified, including recommendations
regarding any statutory changes necessary for the Department
to carry out any of the options identified.
(3) A detailed cost-benefit analysis of each of the options
identified.
(4) Estimates regarding the length of time and associated
costs needed to complete such a facility under each of the
options identified.
SEC. 10. LAND CONVEYANCE, CITY OF FORT THOMAS, KENTUCKY.
(a) Conveyance Authorized.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may convey to the city of Fort Thomas, Kentucky (in
this section referred to as the ``City''), all right, title,
and interest of the United States in and to a parcel of real
property, including the 15 structures located thereon,
consisting of approximately 11.75 acres that is managed by
the Department of Veterans Affairs and located in the
northeastern portion of Tower Park in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
Any such conveyance shall be subject to valid existing
rights, easements, and rights-of-way.
(b) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance
under subsection (a), the City shall pay to the United States
an amount equal to the fair market value of the conveyed real
property, as determined by the Secretary.
(c) Treatment of Consideration.--The consideration received
under subsection (b) shall be deposited, at the discretion of
the Secretary, in the ``Medical facilities'' account or the
``Construction, minor projects'' account (or a combination of
those accounts) and shall be available to the Secretary,
without limitation and until expended--
(1) to cover costs incurred by the Secretary associated
with the environmental remediation of the real property
before conveyance under subsection (a); and
(2) with any funds remaining after the Secretary has
covered costs as required under paragraph (1), for
acquisition of a site for use as a parking facility, or
contract (by lease or otherwise) for the operation of a
parking facility, to be used in connection with the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility, Cincinnati,
Ohio.
(d) Release From Liability.--Effective on the date of the
conveyance under subsection (a), the United States shall not
be liable for damages arising out of any act, omission, or
occurrence relating to the conveyed real property, but shall
continue to be liable for damages caused by acts of
negligence committed by the United States or by any employee
or agent of the United States before the date of conveyance,
consistent with chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code.
(e) Payment of Costs of Conveyance.--
(1) Payment required.--The Secretary shall require the City
to cover costs to be incurred by the Secretary, or to
reimburse the Secretary for costs incurred by the Secretary,
to carry out the conveyance under subsection (a), including
survey costs, costs related to environmental documentation,
and other administrative costs related to the conveyance. If
amounts are collected from the City in advance of the
Secretary incurring the actual costs, and the amount
collected exceeds the costs actually incurred by the
Secretary to carry out the conveyance, the Secretary shall
refund the excess amount to the City.
(2) Treatment of amounts received.--Amounts received as
reimbursement under paragraph (1) shall be credited to the
fund or account that was used to cover the costs incurred by
the Secretary in carrying out the conveyance. Amounts so
credited shall be merged with amounts in such fund or account
and shall be available for the same purposes, and subject to
the same conditions and limitations, as amounts in such fund
or account.
(f) Description of Property.--The exact acreage and legal
description of the real property to be conveyed under
subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory
to the Secretary.
(g) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may
require such additional terms and conditions in connection
with the conveyance under subsection (a) as the Secretary
considers necessary to protect the interests of the United
States.
SEC. 11. ESTABLISHMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS OF A CAREER POSITION RESPONSIBLE FOR
DEPARTMENT-WIDE CONSTRUCTION AND FACILITIES
MANAGEMENT.
(a) Establishment of Position.--Chapter 3 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 312
the following new section:
``Sec. 312A. Director, Construction and Facilities Management
``(a) Career Position.--There is in the Department the
position of Director, Construction and Facilities Management.
The position of Director, Construction and Facilities
Management, is a career position with responsibility for
construction and facilities management across the Department,
including responsibility for all major and minor construction
projects. The individual appointed as Director shall be
appointed by the Secretary and shall provide direct support
to the Secretary and report to the Deputy Secretary of the
Department.
``(b) Qualifications.--The individual appointed to the
position of Director, Construction and Facilities Management,
shall be an individual who--
``(1) holds an undergraduate or master's degree in
architectural design or engineering; and
``(2) has substantive professional experience in the area
of construction project management.
``(c) Responsibilities.--The individual appointed to the
position of Director, Construction and Facilities Management,
shall be responsible for overseeing and managing the
planning, design, construction, and facilities operation,
including infrastructure, of the Department's major and minor
construction projects and performing such other functions as
the Secretary prescribes. Such oversight and management
responsibilities shall include each of the following:
``(1) Developing and updating short and long-range
strategic capital investment strategies and plans.
``(2) Planning, designing, and building facilities,
determining architectural and engineering requirements as
well as ensuring compliance with all applicable laws relating
to the Department's construction program.
[[Page H6455]]
``(3) Overseeing and managing the construction of
Department facilities.
``(4) Managing the Department's short and long-term leasing
activity.
``(5) Repairing and maintaining the Department's
facilities, including custodial services, building management
and administration, and maintenance of roads, grounds, and
infrastructure.
``(6) Managing the procurement and acquisition processes,
including contract award related to design, construction,
furnishing, and supplies and equipment.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 312 the following new item:
``312A. Director, Construction and Facilities Management.''.
SEC. 12. BUSINESS PLANS FOR ENHANCED ACCESS TO OUTPATIENT
CARE IN CERTAIN RURAL AREAS.
(a) Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a business plan for
enhanced access to outpatient care (as described in
subsection (b)) for primary care, mental health care, and
specialty care in each of the following areas:
(1) The Lewiston-Auburn area of Maine.
(2) The area of Houlton, Maine.
(3) The area of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine.
(4) Whiteside County, Illinois.
(b) Means of Enhanced Access.--The means of enhanced access
to outpatient care to be covered by the business plans under
subsection (a) are, with respect to each area specified in
that subsection, one or more of the following:
(1) New sites of care.
(2) Expansions at existing sites of care.
(3) Use of existing authority and policies to contract for
care where necessary.
(4) Increased use of telemedicine.
SEC. 13. REPORT ON OPTION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER IN OKALOOSA
COUNTY, FLORIDA.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to
the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House
of Representatives a report identifying and outlining the
various options available to the Department for the placement
of a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
Okaloosa County, Florida. The report shall include the
following:
(1) The feasibility of entering into a partnership with
Eglin Air Force Base for the construction and operation of a
new, joint Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of
Defense facility.
(2) The medical, legal, and financial implications of each
of the options identified, including recommendations
regarding any statutory changes necessary for the Department
to carry out any of the options identified.
(3) A detailed cost-benefit analysis of each of the options
identified.
(4) Estimates regarding the length of time and associated
costs needed to complete such a facility under each of the
options identified.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Buyer) and the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 5815, the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility
Authorization Act of 2006, would ensure that we will act officially and
provide the right facilities at the right places given the current
veteran populations that we can expect in the coming years.
I thank my colleagues, Henry Brown, the chairman of our Subcommittee
on Health, and Mike Michaud, the subcommittee ranking member, for their
hard work on a bipartisan bill that deploys new models for providing
health care. These models show great promise for veterans who want
cutting-edge care as close to their home as possible.
Mr. Speaker, the very nature of health care delivery has changed
dramatically over the last 15 years, yet the VA has not built a single
hospital in that time. Some challenges ahead of us deal with, for
example, in New Orleans the damage by Hurricane Katrina and that along
the coast of Mississippi. Some put a price tag on a new New Orleans VA
facility at around $600 million. I recently toured a new cutting-edge
tertiary care hospital in Indiana built for about $280 million. So
trying to figure out how we build new hospitals for the government and
at the same time trying to do one that is cost effective is the
challenge.
When we look at the VA, the VA has some aging infrastructure and we
must replace some facilities, not only the ones damaged by the
hurricanes, but also we need to modernize others. This bill will help
rationalize the work, including the actions necessary along the Gulf
Coast where we restored the VA medical centers in Biloxi and in New
Orleans.
We will also move forward with construction in Charleston, South
Carolina, with regard to delivering a new model, and Mr. Brown will be
talking about that in a moment. We will be purchasing property in
Denver. We will work toward a facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The
bill would authorize the construction of 17 major facility projects
authorized in the last session of Congress, including Las Vegas and
Orlando, all of which align with the demand projected for the next two
decades.
Mr. Speaker, after World War II, the VA faced a huge influx of
returning service members and a worrisome shortage of doctors.
Responding to the challenge, the VA in 1946 formed its affiliation
program with medical schools.
A wise decision at the VA, made two generations ago by some far-
seeing leaders, among them Army General Omar Bradley, a post war VA
administrator, enabled the agency to avail itself of the country's best
doctors and nurses, and opened VA to the country's best health care
practices, ensuring it had the capacity to care for millions of new
patients.
According to VA, more than 150 VA facilities have affiliations with
more than 100 medical schools, dozens of dental schools and more than
1,200 other schools across the country. VA trains 50,000 students and
residents each year, more than half of the physicians practicing in the
United States, and a similar portion of nurses, I might add, have
experienced parts of their professional education in the VA health care
system. The VA has built up considerable experience leveraging service
and quality throughout this collaboration.
As the visionaries of 1946 dared to look beyond the familiar
patterns, we must now be willing to consider the possibilities that new
ideas generate. These new ideas can also generate controversy. Some
veterans are concerned that some form of collaboration may dilute the
``veterans' identity'' of a VA hospital. That is not an intention on
our part at all.
Mr. Speaker, the facts show that the last 50 years of affiliation
have meant better VA care for veterans. If a veteran in the Capital
area went to Washington, DC Veteran Center for an emergency, that
veteran would likely be seen by a doctor also on staff at the George
Washington University Medical Center. A veteran being seen at the Ralph
Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina, is almost
certain, the chances are about 90 percent, to be seen by a doctor also
on staff with the Medical University of South Carolina. You do not hear
complaints from veterans about these arrangements.
H.R. 5815 would position VA to leverage existing affiliation
relationships with top notch medical universities and build a new
relationship with these universities, while preserving the veterans'
identity through a collaboration of shared facilities.
In Biloxi, the bill would take advantage of the joint-use facility
being shared with Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi.
Veterans in the New Orleans area would benefit from a new agreement
that we are most hopeful could have fruition with Louisiana State
University for the construction and operation of a collocated joint-use
medical facility.
In Charleston, South Carolina, we would move forward with the
building and operation of a joint-use facility with the Medical
University of South Carolina.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation would authorize the purchase of a site
in Denver for the ultimate replacement of the medical facility there
and would require the VA to report to us and our Senate counterpart on
the viability of engaging in a public-private partnership that would
reduce taxpayer burden as construction begins.
Mr. Speaker, resources are not on the side of isolated facilities.
Enhanced collaboration means that the most expensive equipment, such as
medical imaging devices, could be shared between VA and university
facilities. As new technology becomes available with its inevitable
steep price tag, it could be more easily acquired through these
collaborative efforts.
[[Page H6456]]
Sharing expensive capital assets reduces duplication and waste.
Physicians can more easily travel from the university facility to the
VA's facility. That, in turn, means that the veterans will get quality
care much faster. This logic has appealed to veterans advocates with
whom I have spoken.
This bill would also help the VA grow the expertise that has gone
fallow over the past decade and a half, since VA's last construction
project. H.R. 5815 would establish within the VA a senior Civil Service
position whose role would be to provide department-wide executive
leadership over all construction and facility management.
Mr. Speaker, the total cost of this legislation is approximately $2.4
billion.
Shortly I will turn to my distinguished colleague, Mr. Brown of South
Carolina, chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, for a detailed
explanation of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 5815. This
legislation will authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs major
medical facility projects and leases for fiscal year 2006 and 2007. I
wish to commend my good friend and colleague, the chairman of the
committee, Chairman Buyer, for his willingness to bring this
legislation forward to the House. It is an excellent piece of
legislation. I want to commend also a good friend and colleague, the
chairman of the Health Subcommittee, Henry Brown of South Carolina, for
his work on this legislation as well.
It is a good bill. It is long overdue that the Committee on Veterans
Affairs and this Congress get back to our job of authorizing
construction of veterans medical facilities. This bill takes important
steps forward in rebuilding the VA's presence in New Orleans and
Mississippi. It is important that we do all that we can to help our
veterans in the Gulf region. This bill also authorizes many of the VA's
most urgent projects, projects whose authorization expires at the end
of the month.
I am eagerly awaiting further study and discussion of possible
collaborative efforts of the VA that may result in both enhanced care
for patients and savings for our taxpayers. Although I am excited about
these possibilities, we must also make sure that the needs of veterans
are fully met and that the veterans health care system retains its
distinct identity as a health care system dedicated to the unique needs
of our veterans.
If this health care system is to maintain its position at the
forefront of American medicine, then we must make prudent investments
in the infrastructure that will enable this care to take place. We must
modernize these facilities that are antiquated, we must build new
facilities in areas that are seeing increased numbers of veterans and
we must take steps to ensure that the underserved areas do not remain
underserved for long.
I would like to thank the staff of both sides of the aisle for their
hard work on this legislation. They put a lot of time and effort in
this legislation.
This is a good, bipartisan bill, and I hope our committee can bring
more good bills like this one to the floor before the end of the year.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5815.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Brown).
Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding me this time. I want to thank our committee chairman, Mr.
Buyer, for all of his hard work in bringing this bill to the House
floor this morning. Also I would like to recognize the work of my good
friend and ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Michaud of Maine,
for his contribution and bipartisanship and cooperation in moving this
bill forward.
{time} 1300
I believe it is vital that VA better manage their medical facility
capital assets to meet the needs of our Nation's veterans. VA has not
constructed a new hospital in nearly 15 years, and as a result, a good
amount of this institutional memory has been lost. It is important that
we reassemble the processes that will allow VA to build appropriately
sized facilities where they are truly needed and, at the same time, be
prudent stewards of the taxpayers' money. Opportunities exist to
reevaluate the traditional thinking and create new models for facility
financing and construction that take full advantage of existing and
potential collaborative relationships with medical universities,
research partners, and other nonprofit organizations.
My bill, H.R. 5815, as amended, would ensure that major medical
facility projects are appropriately prioritized and support the out-
year health care demands of the veteran population. It would
reinstitute a sense of centralized, consolidated institutional
knowledge within the VA in the areas of construction and project
management and also require VA to embrace opportunities to improve the
quality of the care delivered through collaborative partnerships.
Collaboration is becoming increasingly essential in delivering health
care across the Nation. So long as we remain true to the distinct
identity of the VA, and so long as we ensure the continued quality
associated with VA care, VA collaboration on joint ventures with its
extensive medical university affiliations and the Department of Defense
can be mutually advantageous for all organizations by reducing capital
and operational costs and eliminating duplications of clinical
infrastructure such as operating rooms, labs, and expensive medical
equipment.
Let me briefly highlight some of the measures included in the bill.
H.R. 5815 would authorize a total of about $2.4 billion for VA medical
facility construction projects and leases.
Section 2 of the bill would authorize $310 million to restore the VA
medical center in Biloxi, Mississippi, and consolidate the services
performed in Gulfport, Mississippi because of the damage from Hurricane
Katrina. The project authorized may only be carried out as part of the
joint-use facility shared by VA with Keesler Air Force Base, which is
also in Biloxi and located in very close proximity to the existing VA
medical center.
Section 3 of the bill would authorize $100 million for VA to enter
into an agreement with the Louisiana State University to design,
construct, and operate a co-located, joint-use medical facility in or
near New Orleans to replace the medical center damaged by Hurricane
Katrina in August of 2005. The $100 million for advance planning and
design effectively places a ceiling on how much can be expended while
LSU and VA work toward a viable, collaborative model of care. This
allows Congress the ability to assess progress and exercise prudent
oversight prior to the actual construction of the facility.
Section 4 of the bill would authorize $70 million for VA to enter
into an agreement with the Medical University of South Carolina to
design, construct, and operate a co-located, joint-use medical facility
in Charleston, South Carolina, to replace the Ralph H. Johnson VA
Medical Center. Similar to New Orleans, this provision allows the
Department and Medical University the opportunity to thoroughly examine
the opportunities and benefits that may exist as a result of co-
location, while only providing the funding necessary to plan and design
a new facility. I would like to share my special thanks with the
chairman of the committee, Steve Buyer, for his diligence on this
project.
We have come a long way with the VA over the past years, and I
appreciate the momentum you have helped provide. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Section 5 of the bill would authorize $98 million for VA to purchase
a site for the replacement of the VA medical center in Denver,
Colorado. It would also require VA to submit a report to this committee
and our Senate counterpart on the viability of entering into a public-
private partnership for the construction and operation of the
anticipated replacement facility. This would allow the taxpayers a
reprieve from front-end loading the capital costs associated with
building a state-of-the-art facility.
Section 6 of the bill would extend authorization for 17 major medical
facility construction projects previously authorized under Public Law
108-170, but for which VA is unlikely to have contracts awarded by the
end of this fiscal year. The bill would authorize $1.76 billion for
these projects. The projects include the construction of
[[Page H6457]]
new medical centers in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Orlando, Florida, and the
expansion of the Spinal Cord Injury Center in Tampa, Florida.
Section 7 of the bill would authorize the appropriation of $52
million and give VA the authorization to enter into certain major
medical facility leases in eight different areas for needed outpatient
clinics.
Section 9 of the bill expresses the sense of Congress that VA should
take steps to explore all options prior to our approval of funding
expensive renovations in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that in the end will
still fall short of the capacity needed to handle the projected
workload for the region. VA would be required to provide a report on
the various options available, including the option of a public or
nonprofit organization partnership to construct and operate a new
facility that would replace the current medical center.
Section 11 of the bill would establish within VA a new career
position with responsibility for construction and facilities management
across all segments of the Department.
Mr. Speaker, this is a carefully developed bill that represents the
diligence and bipartisan work of the committee in this jurisdiction
over VA construction matters. The key provisions of H.R. 5815 are
supported by the administration, and I urge my colleagues to join me in
support of this legislation.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the good gentleman
from California, Bob Filner
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank
the committee and the Chair for moving this bill forward.
I rise also in support of H.R. 5815. It has been some time now since
Congress acted to address the health care infrastructure of the
Department of Veterans Affairs. I am pleased, along with everyone else,
that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has reasserted its traditional
role in this area.
We have supported the CARES process, the Capital Asset Realignment
for Enhanced Services, but have always maintained that the most
important part of that acronym is at the end, that is, ``enhanced
services.'' Realignment is certainly essential, but enhanced services
are critical.
As the CARES report to the Secretary stated in 2004: ``VA
infrastructure and support facilities, many built in the aftermath of
World War II, are not all configured for contemporary health care
delivery, and some are no longer appropriately located. Moreover, with
an average age exceeding 50 years, these buildings are becoming more
costly to maintain.''
We all know that VA health care is a national asset. Our committee
has been trying to ensure that veterans receive the health care they
have earned and deserve. While health care funding should remain our
biggest priority, we must also see to it that the facilities where
veterans receive this health care are modern and up to date, as well as
conveniently located to their place of residence. It is difficult to
provide the most modern health care in facilities that are half a
century old. It is time that we recognize this and move forward in
bringing the aging VA infrastructure up to the standards of the 21st
century.
This bill is an important step in the process. It provides the
authorization for the VA to complete the projects it has started. It
provides the authorization for us to rebuild VA facilities that were
destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and it provides authority to further
the VA's collaborative efforts, efforts that hold the promise of
enhancing health care for our veterans while maintaining the unique
identity of the VA health care system.
We must ensure that VA construction projects are authorized, that the
resources are provided to quickly complete them, and that we provide
all the resources needed to maintain high quality health care in the
Veterans Administration. We must keep our promises to the men and women
who have served our Nation in the past and, of course, are serving us
today.
So I thank my colleagues on the Veterans' Affairs Committee for their
work on this issue and urge speedy passage of this important
legislation
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman and
fighter for veterans issues from the great State of Florida, Corrine
Brown.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support
this bill and the hard work put in by Chairman Brown and Ranking Member
Michaud.
I am especially pleased that the committee has chosen to authorize
the construction of a new medical center facility in Orlando, Florida,
for $377.7 million and to require the facility to be located at the
site in Lake Nona known as site selection C.
It has been documented for 25 years, let me repeat, 25 years, that a
VA hospital is badly needed in central Florida. As a 14-year member of
the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have been working to obtain a
hospital in this area, something that has always been one of my top
committee priorities. When the Naval Training Center was closed, I was
excited to work with former Secretary Jesse Brown to open the clinic
that was badly needed for central Florida veterans. It is time for a
full medical center.
It is important that the veterans of the central Florida region have
a VA medical center that will serve all the needs to provide the type
of health care that the VA is known for.
I am especially pleased that the VA medical center will be co-located
with the new Florida State medical school near an urban medical
complex, in an area where doctors and research professors can work
collaboratively on the needs of our area veterans. As many studies have
shown, teaching hospitals give the best care and for the veterans to
have access to this care and the veterans to have the same access is
invaluable. It is the ultimate urban model, one that needs to be
followed at all levels of medical treatment from Florida and throughout
the Nation.
The many hearings we have held to discuss the benefits of working
together have shown the benefits, and the path has been set for success
in other institutions. This is a win-win for everyone in the VA system
in the central Florida area, and the veterans are truly deserving of
this facility.
Again, this is a great day and long overdue day for the central
Florida community and for central Florida veterans. It is also a great
day for all veterans from all over the Nation who will come to central
Florida.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the
delegate from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno).
Mr. FORTUNO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Veterans Affairs Medical
Facility Authorization Act. This bipartisan proposal, which I am
honored to cosponsor with Chairman Brown and Ranking Member Michaud,
would authorize major medical facility projects and major medical
facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years
2006 and 2007.
As Puerto Rico's sole representative in Congress, I want to thank
Chairman Brown and Ranking Member Michaud for agreeing to include
section 9 of this bill. This section recognizes the need for medical
facility improvements in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I request that the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs take steps to explore all options for
addressing these concerns, including the option of a public/private
partnership to construct and operate a facility that would replace the
current Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in San Juan,
Puerto Rico. The San Juan VA Medical Center is a 319-acute-care-bed
facility with documented condition deficiencies.
In October of 2002, a decision was made to develop a two-phased
strategy for the San Juan VA Medical Center: phase one, a new six-story
tower with 314 beds; phase two, a main building renovation that will
include asbestos abatement, sprinklers, utility improvements, and would
correct seismic deficiencies.
On April 14, 2006, an $84.05 million construction contract was
awarded for phase one. The building is expected to be completed in May
2009. The existing facility has approximately 630,845 gross square
feet, and the proposed new tower would provide an additional 250,000
feet. However, the CARES review determined that San Juan, based on
current and projected workload, requires a total of 1,283,547 gross
square feet to efficiently service our veterans. The current two-phase
plan still falls
[[Page H6458]]
far short of the requirements identified under CARES by nearly 402,702
gross square feet.
{time} 1315
Given the documented substantial facility deficiencies, I am
concerned about the U.S. taxpayers continuing to fund expensive
renovations in San Juan which will ultimately fail to meet the capacity
needed to handle the predicted workload.
For this reason, this bill requires that no later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this act, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the Committee of Veterans' Affairs of the House
and the Senate a report identifying and outlining the various options
available to the Department for replacing the current Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Puerto Rico.
Mr. Speaker, Puerto Rican veterans have served with honor and
distinction in the Armed Forces of the United States in all wars and
conflicts since 1917. Currently, over 9,000 of our men and women are
active in our Nation's war on terrorism. Puerto Ricans have always
responded to the call of defending our Nation, ranking number sixth in
per capita contribution in Army, Reserve, and National Guard, fourth in
the Reserve deployments when compared to units, and four Medals of
Honor in Korea.
In closing, I would like to once again thank Chairmen Buyer and
Brown, Ranking Members Evans and Michaud, and committee staff for their
report and their fine work.
Mr. BUYER. I thank the delegate for his work on this bill.
I yield 1\1/4\ minutes to Mr. Stearns of Florida
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time from my distinguished
colleague.
I am delighted today that we are voting today on H.R. 5815 that
includes about $85 million for the Gainesville, Florida Malcom Randall
Medical Center to correct patient privacy deficiencies. My colleagues,
north Florida and south Georgia veterans rely on this hospital, and it
will be well served by this appropriation. Further, this bill
authorizes a long-awaited hospital in Orlando. And like the hospital in
Gainesville, there is a synergistic collaboration of VA, academia, and
industry research all coming together to make things better.
We initiated the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services
(CARES) process a few years ago. It is a comprehensive, objective
system-wide approach to projecting into the future the appropriate
function, size, and location of VA facilities. Out of CARES and then-
Secretary Principi's recommendation came the decisions on which we are
voting today. It was carefully thought out, and I commend the chairman.
What we learned from CARES is nothing we don't all know: veterans,
like many seniors, are retiring to Florida. Every day they are crossing
the border coming into our hospitals in the southern States, and we
need to put the care where the veterans are coming and where they are
located, Mr. Speaker. So I look forward to voting on this, and I
appreciate the chairman's help
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Nevada who has been a true advocate for veterans
health care, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley.
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise in strong support of this remarkably good piece of
legislation, and I would like to thank both Mr. Brown and Mr. Michaud,
in particular the chairman Mr. Buyer and our ranking member Mr. Filner,
for bringing us to this point with this legislation.
I had the great pleasure of hosting both Mr. Filner and Mr. Buyer in
Las Vegas so they could see for themselves firsthand what the needs of
my veterans were. The day that Mr. Buyer was touring our shared VA
hospital facility, the hospital facility was on divert, and
unfortunately every other hospital in the Las Vegas area was also on
divert. It is a very common occurrence in the fastest growing community
in the United States, and that is why this is such an important piece
of legislation.
I represent the Las Vegas area of the State of Nevada. It is the
fastest growing community in the United States. But I also have the
fastest growing veterans population in the United States, and no health
care facilities in which to treat these 200,000-plus veterans that call
southern Nevada home.
After the CARES study, it was determined that Las Vegas was indeed
entitled to an entire medical complex, and I am very happy to say that
this piece of legislation authorizes a medical complex that is
comprised of three buildings, an 80-bed VA hospital, full-service VA
hospital, a full-service outpatient clinic to take care of the needs of
our veterans, and a 120-bed long-term facility which is so desperately
needed in the southern Nevada area.
It will be located on 147 acres in north Las Vegas on the corner of
the 215 and Pecos Road. This land has already been transferred to the
VA, so we don't have to worry about the land. This land has already
been blessed by the Southern Nevada Paiute Tribe in a remarkable
ceremony. We have already been allocated $259 million, and the VA
Secretary in his testimony in front of our committee has stated on
numerous occasions that the balance of the amount to finish this VA
medical complex will be contained in the 2008 budget. I am absolutely
delighted to be able to go back to the veterans in southern Nevada and
let them know that my colleagues in the United States Congress
recognized their needs and are answering the call and providing the
needs for our veterans.
I am looking forward to the groundbreaking that will be taking place
in October. I am waiting for the VA Secretary to let us know when this
groundbreaking will take place. We will do vertical construction at the
beginning of next year, and hopefully this complex will be completed
for our veterans in 2010.
Mr. BUYER. I yield to Mr. Feeney of Florida 2 minutes.
(Mr. FEENEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Buyer, I want to
thank Chairman Brown, and I want to thank Ranking Member Michaud,
because as several of my colleagues from central Florida have said, our
community in central Florida, which is home to almost 850,000 veterans,
has for 30 years waited to get service that much of the rest of the
country has enjoyed.
Over 45 percent of our veterans are underserved, according to the
veterans' own criteria in having to travel more than 2 hours for
treatment. That doesn't include the many people that call central
Florida their winter home from all over the districts from my friends
around the rest of the country. It doesn't include the veterans that
come as tourists that need immediate attention. We will be able to
finally, after three decades, provide the attention that these much
deserved veterans need.
I would tell you that over 50 percent of our veterans have a service-
connected disability; 18 percent of them have posttraumatic stress
syndrome, and it is very difficult for them to travel as far as
Jacksonville or Tampa or beyond. We are the largest metropolitan area
in the country that is not currently served by a VA medical center. We
thank the CARES commission. We congratulate our friends in Las Vegas
for their much needed funding for a new hospital, and we are very, very
grateful for our colleagues.
I will finish by saying that this site is a very, very exciting site.
Five years ago, there was simply nothing existing here. Within 5 years,
we will have a University of Central Florida brand-new medical school.
We will have a Burnham Institute, one of the finest research medical
facilities in the entire world, all sorts of spin-off businesses. The
University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, probably
Florida State University will all have medical research facilities
located nearby.
In sum I would say that, out of nowhere, we have built a medical
city, and in the midst of it our great central Florida veterans will be
being treated. They will remember what we have done here today. Again,
I express my appreciation for all of you
Today, there are more than 26.5 million veterans living in the United
States and Puerto Rico with more than 1.8 million of them residing in
the State of Florida. That is the second highest total in America, only
behind California. More than one-third of these live in the Central
Florida area alone. This number does not include those veterans who
choose to
[[Page H6459]]
make Florida their home during the winter months of the year and those
veterans who visit the numerous vacation areas in Central Florida,
which can number in the tens of thousands.
According to the VA, Central Florida is the number one destination
for combat veterans and veterans 65 years of age or older. It is also
the number one area for veterans who have 50 percent or more service
connected disability, and 18 percent of our veterans have post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Yet Orlando is the largest metropolitan area in the country that is
not serviced by a VA medical center. In 2004, Orlando and its
surrounding area was identified by the Department of Veterans Affairs
through the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES)
Commission as an area in need of a new VA medical center. CARES was
intended to be a comprehensive, system-wide approach, identifying the
demand for VA care and projecting into the future the appropriate
function, size, and location for VA facilities. At this same time,
CARES identified the need for a new medical complex in Las Vegas,
Nevada. This need was appropriate and warranted, and the facility in
Las Vegas has received funding and is scheduled to break ground this
year. However, a hospital in Central Florida still remains an idea.
Orlando area veterans along with the 128 active veterans service
organizations in the Central Florida region average 2 hours of travel
time to get to VA hospitals located in Tampa, Gainesville, and
Jacksonville. This includes veterans who live in Orange, Seminole,
Brevard, and Volusia counties. In fact, only 45% of our veterans are
within the VA's access standards for hospital care. An Orlando VA
medical center would cut most drive times in half, making it more
convenient and cut down travel costs. A closer facility would also mean
veterans would pursue the medical services provided by the VA and lead
to a better quality of life, which they deserve.
Concerns have arisen from Central Florida veterans associations in
the area that a VA medical center will not come to fruition. At a May
1st public hearing administered by the Orlando VA Hospital Site
Selection Committee, many veterans were accusing lawmakers of not
caring for veterans because of the slow progress that has been made.
As of now, $25 million had been authorized by the VA for the Orlando
VA Medical Center to assist in site selection, design, and planning.
Choosing a site needs to be done while balancing the accessibility
needs of Central Florida's veterans, along with the long-term economic
impact the hospital will have on the State. This is essential as we
look for ways to leverage funds to maximize investment benefit.
This bill would authorize more than $377 million for the construction
of this desperately needed facility at the Lake Nona site. This site
will include a proposed medical school for the University of Central
Florida and the future site of a laboratory research facility from the
Burnha Institute, one of the world's leading healthcare and cancer
research institutes.
This stunning trifecta for Orlando: the VA hospital, the UCF Medical
School, and the Burnham Institute will be valuable to both local
veterans and the VA, as the medical school and research environment
will provide insight into innovative and cutting-edge technologies
which could serve as a vehicle for sharing expensive medical equipment.
We also have confirmation from Orlando's Florida hospital that they
look forward to partnering with the VA to help share in the costs of
diagnostic equipment and contribute to residency and staffing needs.
This commitment will ensure that those who have served our country have
access to additional resources to further enhance the medical services
the VA may offer to them.
Veterans in Central Florida have been waiting for nearly three
decades for a new complex that has continuously met delays. I
appreciate this opportunity to express Central Florida's immediate and
urgent need for a medical facility and I strongly urge passage of this
bill so that our growing veterans' population may finally have
appropriate access to vital health care services.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, once again I would like to thank the good
chairman of the committee, Chairman Buyer, and chairman of the House
Subcommittee, Henry Brown, for their hard work that they have done on
this legislation, really making it a concerted effort to bringing on
board today so that we can vote on this legislation. But, once again,
the staff. I know this is not an easy process. The staff on both sides
of the aisle have worked very diligently in this effort. So I do want
to commend the staff on both sides of the aisle, and I really
appreciate the chairman's strong advocacy for veterans and veterans
issues, and enjoyed working with him on this legislation.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. MICHAUD. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.
Mr. BUYER. Likewise, you do such good because you are a genuine human
being, and I want to thank you for your leadership. And it was a treat
and joy to work with you and Chairman Brown on this, along with your
staff.
I appreciate you also recognizing the staff. Mr. Tucker who is
sitting there next to you, when I think of his work, and Mr. Weekly and
Ms. Dunn, but also that of Jim Lariviere, Jim who now has been
activated as a colonel in the Marine Corps in Afghanistan, Kelly Craven
and Jim Holley who is also here on the floor for their hard work.
But I also want to pause and, if I might, this is a pretty large bill
and we have had to work with a lot of different Members. So if I might,
I would like to thank, in particular, Mr. Michaud for your work. I want
to thank Mr. Evans for his bipartisanship and his good work and his
leadership. I also want to thank Chairman Brown for his work on the
Charleston project, Mr. Fortuno for his work in Puerto Rico, Ms.
Berkley in Las Vegas, Mr. Beauprez in Denver, Mr. Baker for New
Orleans.
And we got a full court press when it came to Orlando. We had
leadership of Mr. Stearns, Mr. Feeney, Ms. Brown, Chairman Miller, Mr.
Keller, Chairman Bilirakis, and Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite. So we got the
full court press when it came to Orlando; we got the message. And it
was just a real treat in working with all of them, and I thank the
gentleman for recognizing them.
Mr. MICHAUD. And, likewise, it has been a real treat. And even though
I do not represent the State of Florida, there are a lot of snow birds
from the State of Maine, veterans that go to Florida. So I have heard
from my veterans as well as far as the facilities in Florida. I really
appreciate your comments, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I would yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5815 is a well-thought-out bill. It is
the product of thorough bipartisan collaboration. I urge my colleagues
to act favorably now and move this legislation to the Senate so that we
can give our veterans the assurances of new and improved medical
facilities
Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 5815,
the VA construction authorization bill. I commend my colleagues on the
Committee in producing this important piece of legislation.
I am glad to see Congress once again fulfilling its responsibility to
authorize new health care facilities for veterans. This is an important
task. Veterans deserve the highest quality of health care.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 5815, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________