[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 80 (Friday, May 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3289-S3290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION AND CHOICE IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2496, which was received 
from the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2496) to extend the authorization for the 
     replacement of the existing Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, to make certain 
     improvements in the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
     Accountability Act of 2014, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to a third reading and was read the third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on the measure?
  If not, the bill having been read the third time, the question is, 
Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (H.R. 2496) was passed.
  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and any 
statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to thank 
my colleagues for lifting the authorization cap to allow construction 
to continue on the VA hospital in Aurora, CO. This project has been an 
absolutely shameful display of mismanagement from the very beginning. 
And the Colorado delegation has been screaming from the hilltops about 
a flawed strategy on the part of the VA for years now. But with the 
right accountability and transparency reforms, we have all concluded 
that the right thing to do is to move forward and complete this 
facility. And today, we have acknowledged that the worst possible thing 
we could do is to stop work on the construction site again. Doing so 
would add hundreds of millions of dollars in extra costs to the project 
and would be a grave disservice to veterans throughout Colorado. This 
is an important step, but we have a long way to go.
  The VA and Congress are going to have to work together to get this 
project back on track. And finding the money to do this will be 
painful, which is why we need to ensure strong accountability and that 
we protect critical programs and services for our veterans. Failing to 
complete this hospital, though, simply is not an option.

[[Page S3290]]

Having a half-finished hospital in Colorado would be a national 
disgrace. And the hundreds of thousands of veterans across the Rocky 
Mountain region that this hospital would service deserve better.
  I especially want to thank Chairman Isakson and Ranking Member 
Blumenthal for their work on this project and for their commitment to 
finishing the hospital. And, I want to thank my colleague Senator 
Gardner for his work--especially in the last hours--to avoid a shut 
down.
  Mr. President, before I turn this over to my colleague from Colorado, 
I thank Chairman Isakson for his extraordinary leadership in getting 
this done. It was very difficult to do.
  Senator Isakson and Senator Blumenthal came to Colorado. They are 
both men of their word, and I have never doubted that for an instant. 
The chairman has set an incredible example for this body.
  I also thank the Senator from Kansas for his work on this 
legislation.
  My colleague, Senator Gardner, from Colorado, has been a true 
champion for our veterans. He has helped us keep our delegation 
together as we have gone through a rough patch here and, through the 
Chair, I thank him for his leadership.
  I yield the floor to my colleague from Colorado.
  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I reiterate the thanks my colleague from 
Colorado has given to Chairman Isakson of the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee as well as to the Senator from Kansas who worked closely with 
us to make sure we could all get behind two measures we support, both 
of which would provide greater care and support for our veterans.
  To my colleague Senator Bennet from Colorado, through the Chair, I 
thank him for the work we have been able to do. This has been a 
tireless effort in the hours leading up to Memorial Day to make sure we 
provide the resources necessary to continue a hospital project in 
Denver that has been, no doubt, beleaguered by problems, but something 
we must fulfill and must continue to fulfill to complete the project, 
to get this thing built, and to make sure it does not result in even 
higher costs than it has already undertaken.
  This is an effort that is going to take continued cooperation, not 
only by the Colorado delegation but by the Veterans' Administration 
itself. Over the next 3 weeks, we have been given a reprieve to make 
sure we can find the policies and a viable path forward to get this job 
done that results in a hospital that will complete and fulfill the 
promises we made to the veterans in Colorado.
  Through the Chair, I say to my colleague Senator Bennet great thanks 
for his leadership on all accounts, and I thank Chairman Isakson on 
behalf of veterans across Colorado for his leadership and work in 
making this happen.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I thank all of my colleagues for the 
progress we have been making on a very bipartisan basis.
  I particularly wish to thank the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee for working so diligently on an immediate and temporary 
solution to advance the Aurora project and enable us to keep it going. 
Our visit out there illustrated to us the importance of this project 
which my two colleagues and friends from Colorado have described so 
well and eloquently.
  I thank my friend from the great State of Kansas. He and I have 
worked to make sure veterans are really served by the CHOICE program, 
along with the chairman, who has understood and enabled us to work 
together on a bill which will be passed by unanimous consent, I hope, 
and will be passed by the House of Representatives, I hope, by 
unanimous consent. But if not, as I have committed to him, I will 
continue to work to make sure the 40-mile rule and choice mean veterans 
are served by a facility that can give them the care they need and 
deserve. Our heroes ought not to have to travel great distances or wait 
an inordinate amount of time to receive medical care that is so vital 
and so well deserved by them. They have earned it, and they ought to 
have it.

  I thank my colleagues for working so well and diligently on this 
effort.
  I yield the floor.

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