[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 7, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H10559-H10561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES FOR DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 1717) to authorize major medical facility leases for the
Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010, and for other
purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 1717
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2010 MAJOR MEDICAL
FACILITY LEASES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
carry out the following fiscal year 2010 major medical
facility leases at the locations specified, in an amount not
to exceed the amount shown for that location:
(1) Anderson, South Carolina, Outpatient Clinic, in an
amount not to exceed $4,774,000.
(2) Atlanta, Georgia, Specialty Care Clinic, in an amount
not to exceed $5,172,000.
(3) Bakersfield, California, Community Based Outpatient
Clinic, in an amount not to exceed $3,464,000.
(4) Birmingham, Alabama, Annex Clinic and Parking Garage,
in an amount not to exceed $6,279,000.
(5) Butler, Pennsylvania, Health Care Center, in an amount
not to exceed $16,482,000.
(6) Charlotte, North Carolina, Health Care Center, in an
amount not to exceed $30,457,000.
(7) Fayetteville, North Carolina, Health Care Center, in an
amount not to exceed $23,487,000.
(8) Huntsville, Alabama, Outpatient Clinic Expansion, in an
amount not to exceed $4,374,000.
(9) Kansas City, Kansas, Community Based Outpatient Clinic,
in an amount not to exceed $4,418,000.
(10) Loma Linda, California, Health Care Center, in an
amount not to exceed $31,154,000
(11) McAllen, Texas, Outpatient Clinic, in an amount not to
exceed $4,444,000.
(12) Monterey, California, Health Care Center, in an amount
not to exceed $11,628,000.
(13) Montgomery, Alabama, Health Care Center, in an amount
not to exceed $9,943,000.
(14) Tallahassee, Florida, Outpatient Clinic, in an amount
not to exceed $13,165,000.
(15) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Health Care Center, in
an amount not to exceed $26,986,000.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for
fiscal year 2010 or the year in which funds are appropriated
for the Medical Facilities account $196,227,000 for the
leases authorized in subsection (a).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of S. 1717, a bill to authorize 15 major medical
facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs' fiscal year
2010 budget. The bill would also authorize $196 million to allow the VA
to carry out these leases in a timely manner.
Mr. Speaker, the VA operates the largest direct health care delivery
system in America. Providing timely access to high-quality health care
to veterans is the work of the VA. It provides these services through
their sizable inventory of buildings and properties that include 153
medical centers, 755 outpatient clinics, and 230 vet centers. This bill
provides the VA the ability to move forward without delay on the
execution of important leases. Veterans who have been anticipating new
clinics opening up in their communities will not be disappointed if we
act on time.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee for taking the lead and moving this bill so
quickly. I urge support of the legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1530
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1717, a bill to authorize major
medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for
fiscal year 2010 and other purposes.
S. 1717 would allow for new and expanded veterans' medical facilities
throughout the United States. New VA outpatient facilities would be
opened in Atlanta, Georgia; Butler, Pennsylvania; Birmingham, Alabama;
Fayetteville, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Kansas City, Kansas;
Loma Linda, California; and Montgomery, Alabama. These new facilities
will provide the ability to handle larger veteran populations and
deliver expanded
[[Page H10560]]
services in modern state-of-the-art facilities.
This bill would also authorize the replacement of VA outpatient
facilities in Anderson, South Carolina; Bakersfield, California;
Charlotte, North Carolina; McAllen, Texas; Monterey, California; and
Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It would also allow for the expansion of
the outpatient facility in Tallahassee, Florida, my State. This would
ensure that these locations can continue to provide veterans with
effective, quality care. S. 1717 would ensure that VA medical
facilities can deliver the highest quality of service, the key, to
veterans by providing the authorization for these projects.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support S. 1717 and the benefits it would
provide to veterans with medical facility leases across the country. I
encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to Dr. Deal from
Georgia.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate 1717.
As a veteran, I recognize the sacrifice our men and women in uniform
are making on behalf of our country to defend our Nation and protect
our liberties. But, unfortunately, notable deficiencies in capacity are
limiting access to health care which many of our veterans desperately
need.
This bill includes authorization of approximately $5.1 million to
establish an outpatient clinic for veterans throughout the metropolitan
Atlanta area and across Georgia to improve access to care, particularly
as the strain exists on existing VA facilities, and it will continue to
increase that strain as servicemembers return home. This new facility
will work in support of the Atlanta VA Medical Center, which is located
in Decatur, Georgia.
Currently, over 630,000 veterans live within the Atlanta VA catchment
area, and that number will continue to grow. Estimates further indicate
that the number of outpatient visits in the area will grow by 120
percent by 2025, with a dramatic 170 percent surge in mental health
visits.
The Atlanta Specialty Care Clinic lease, which this bill provides
for, will provide an opportunity to serve our veterans in a
contemporary facility, ensuring that maximum safety and security are
going to be addressed. This facility will enhance the VA's ability to
provide some of the highest-in-demand services in ophthalmology,
podiatry, and dermatology, while allowing the existing areas at the
Decatur VA facility to be expanded to address mental health services
and traumatic brain injury.
I have introduced a similar piece of legislation in the House, H.R.
3704, which also authorizes the establishment of this much-needed
facility. Over 17,000 unique patients representing 88,000 outpatient
visits per year will benefit by this much-needed addition to our
already strained system.
Mr. Speaker, our veterans deserve no less than our best, and I remain
committed to ensuring that our servicemembers receive the health care
that they deserve.
I thank the gentlemen for their support of this legislation.
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers running for Governor or
Senator, so I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. Moran), a member of the VA Committee.
Mr. MORAN of Kansas. I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Bilirakis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) for bringing
this legislation to the House floor today. I'm here in support of it.
In particular, I am pleased with a provision that's included in this
bill that authorizes a new community-based outpatient clinic, or CBOC,
to be located in Johnson County, Kansas.
As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and former
chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, I have been an advocate for
establishing a CBOC in our State. These VA clinics bring health care
services closer to veterans who have served our country. During my time
in Congress, I have helped open five other outpatient clinics in our
State: Hays, Dodge City, Salina, Junction City, and Hutchinson.
Especially in my own congressional district where there is no VA
hospital, these health facilities have proven to be invaluable. These
clinics are a successful part of a larger success story of our
country's efforts to raise the standards of care for veterans.
Veterans in Johnson County, Kansas, deserve timely access to medical
care, and I've been working to make sure that the VA recognizes this.
Johnson County is our State's most populated county, so it's unusual in
a sense for me to be here talking about them, but located in the
suburbs of Kansas City, this area is home to hundreds of thousands of
veterans. The VA patient workload in future years for this region is
expected to increase significantly. And unless the capacity is created
to care for these veterans, timely access will be threatened.
With the passage of this legislation, I'm pleased the VA can move
forward on this clinic to provide quality medical care for northeast
Kansans who've sacrificed in service to our country. The new outpatient
clinic will mean closer medical services and less wait times for a
large number of Kansas veterans who currently travel across the State
line to Missouri for health care. With over 44,000 square feet
authorized, this sizable clinic will provide comprehensive outpatient
services, including mental health as well as radiology, laboratory
services, and a pharmacy.
I want to thank the VISN in Kansas City and KC VA Medical Center for
their foresight on this project and for their efforts to see that it's
completed by the year 2012. I thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr.
Moore) for his efforts, and I encourage my colleagues in this House to
support this legislation.
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Farr), who has been an incredible advocate for, I
think, a unique approach to serving the veterans in his area in
Monterey, California.
Mr. FARR. I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1717.
This bill authorizes funds to lease 15 major medical facilities
across the country. These are facilities that the VA desperately needs
to meet the growing demand for outpatient health care, for veteran
health care. In my district alone, hundreds of veterans are forced to
drive up to 2 hours to a VA hospital in Palo Alto for outpatient care.
I know that many of these districts share the same situation. The
bottom line is the VA is unable to meet our current needs through its
traditional construction system. We must take action to ensure our
veterans are receiving the health care they deserve.
The leasing program in this bill allows funds known as the Health
Care Center Facilities program to use private-sector money. This
innovative approach to funding construction and maintenance of VA
hospitals is just the type of idea we need to plug these holes in
service. In some ways the lease program builds off a similar program
that the armed services use for residential community housing,
essentially housing for men and women in uniform. The lesson from these
programs is clear: we need to leverage private-sector investment for
government benefits.
The health care needs of our returning and aging veterans will only
continue to increase, and it is essential for the VA to meet this
demand with modern, efficient, and accessible veterans' health
facilities. In my district I have been working with the VA and with
DOD, Department of Defense, officials to build a joint outpatient
clinic for veterans and active and retired military servicemembers.
This bill contains the lease authority for that joint VA/DOD clinic at
the former Fort Ord. This clinic will serve more than 80,000 veterans
and active and retired military servicemembers on the Monterey
Peninsula.
There is a glaring need to provide care for our veterans. This bill
will accomplish that. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation,
to thank those that have been involved at the committee level to bring
it to the floor, and to expand health care options for all our
veterans.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the ranking member
of
[[Page H10561]]
the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Lewis.
Mr. LEWIS of California. I very much appreciate my colleague's
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation because it
will greatly benefit the thousands of veterans in my district and the
greater Inland Empire.
With the passage of this bill, the Jerry Pettis Veterans Medical
Center will begin the process of establishing a new health care center.
This new 271,000-square-foot facility will directly benefit veterans of
Riverside and San Bernardino Counties by increasing access to care,
expanding services, and reducing wait times.
I would like to thank the staff of the Jerry Pettis VA Hospital for
their very hard work and the fine service they're providing to veterans
in our region.
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, this bill contains needed authorizations
requested by the VA, and it is important that we move this legislation
forward quickly.
I urge my colleagues to support S. 1717.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
General Leave
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on S. 1717.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I think the importance of this bill and its
quick passage has been proven by all the speakers.
Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1717. Within
this request is funding for the Veterans Health Care Center in
Charlotte, NC.
We currently have a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic that cannot
meet the demands of our growing veteran population. Based on VA
numbers, our veteran population is slated to increase 31 percent
between 2007 and 2025.
This new Health Care Center will help the VA expand its service
offerings in our area, and offer new ones which means that our veterans
will not have to travel out of our area for the services they need.
We cannot thank our men and women in uniform--and their families for
the sacrifices they make in defending our country. However, with this
new Health Care Center in Charlotte, we can ensure that they are taken
care of in a matter which fits their dedication and service.
Mr. FILNER. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 1717.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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