[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 134 (Thursday, September 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF PROGRESS AT WEST LOS ANGELES VA MEDICAL CENTER

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                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 17, 2015

  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to 
recognize the remarkable accomplishments being made at the VA West Los 
Angeles Medical Center by the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
Secretary Robert A. McDonald.
  I will not be able to join Secretary McDonald in Los Angeles today as 
Congress is in session, but it is my pleasure to acknowledge the 
attention given and progress made at the West LA VA this year by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
  The West LA VA is the largest VA Medical Center in the nation and it 
had faced unfortunate challenges for many years. In January 2015, 
Secretary McDonald quickly settled a lawsuit that had been holding back 
progress for Veterans in Los Angeles. Since that time, all of the 
parties involved have been following a Principles Document that has 
been driving a Strategic Homeless Initiative and the development of a 
Master Plan.
  In addition to being the largest VA Medical Center, Los Angeles has 
the largest population of homeless Veterans in the United States. We 
cannot solve homelessness nation-wide without addressing it in LA. 
Secretary McDonald engaged me early this year and we have partnered on 
many initiatives to address the crisis in homelessness. He has 
demonstrated a serious commitment to addressing homelessness among 
Veterans in Los Angeles and to developing a roadmap to ensure the 
sprawling West LA VA campus is focused on uses and services to directly 
benefit our nation's Veterans.
  In fact, since March 2015 almost 1,400 area Veterans have been placed 
into permanent supportive housing. The VA expanded capacity to care for 
homeless Veterans by providing $30 million in additional Supportive 
Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) grants. Additional HUD-VASH 
vouchers have been awarded to our region, new beds have been added, and 
VA has hired more than 100 new employees prioritizing outreach and case 
management.
  The VA has also actively forged relationships with every level of 
government, along with public and private partners to leverage 
resources in a truly unprecedented way.
  We have a rare opportunity at this moment to solve homelessness among 
Veterans if we work together to make it happen. At the same time, we 
must also transform the West LA VA into a campus that serves our 
nation's Veterans with the dignity and integrity they so deserve. I am 
confident with our support and partnerships, Secretary McDonald will 
achieve this.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing gratitude to VA 
Secretary McDonald for dedicating an enormous amount of time and 
resources to restoring the trust of our Veterans at West Los Angeles 
and for delivering critical housing, programs, and services.

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