[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 98 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1620-E1621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. MELISSA L. BEAN

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 2047) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense; to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2010, and for 
     other purposes:

  Ms. BEAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2647, the National 
Defense Authorization Act and encourage its passage. Earlier this 
Congress I introduced H.R. 1267, ``Captain James A. Lovell Federal 
Health Care Act of 2009, which provides legislative authority to the 
Navy and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly operate the 
new ``Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.'' In the 
other body, Senator Dick Durbin has been working to include similar 
language in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization 
Act.
  After completion, the Lovell Federal Health Care Center will be the 
first health care facility in the nation to be operated jointly between 
the VA and the Navy saving taxpayers millions of dollars that would 
otherwise have been needed to rebuild or renovate the Navy's nearby 
hospital. Without this legislation, the Center will not be able to 
provide essential services to

[[Page E1621]]

thousands of military beneficiaries in the region. Beneficiaries who 
had previously received care at the Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes 
would either be ineligible for care or would charged a significant co-
pay for certain care, including emergency, hospitalization, outpatient, 
and behavioral health services. The facility is scheduled to begin 
joint operations on October 1, 2010.
  While my legislation was not included in the underlying bill, it is 
my understanding that Senator Durbin will be able to include similar 
language in the Senate NDAA. I will continue to work with my colleagues 
in the Senate on its inclusion, and encourage passage of the underlying 
bill.

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