[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 83 (Monday, May 16, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4996-H4997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FISCAL YEAR 2022 VETERANS AFFAIRS MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY AUTHORIZATION 
                                  ACT

  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 7500) to authorize major medical facility projects for the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2022, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7500

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fiscal Year 2022 Veterans 
     Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS OF 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR FISCAL YEAR 
                   2022.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     carry out the following major medical facility projects in 
     fiscal year 2022 at the locations specified and in an amount 
     for each project not to exceed the amount specified for such 
     location:
       (1) Restoration and consolidation of the Gulfport Hospital 
     in Biloxi, Mississippi, in an amount not to exceed 
     $341,500,000.
       (2) Construction of a community living center and 
     renovation of domiciliary and outpatient facilities in 
     Canandaigua, New York, in an amount not to exceed 
     $443,900,000.
       (3) Construction of a spinal cord injury center in Dallas, 
     Texas, in an amount not to exceed $292,239,000.
       (4) Construction of a new health care center in El Paso, 
     Texas, in an amount not to exceed $150,000,000.
       (5) Seismic corrections to the mental health and community 
     living center in Long Beach, California, in an amount not to 
     exceed $387,300,000.
       (6) Construction of a new medical facility in Louisville, 
     Kentucky, in an amount not to exceed $953,000,000.
       (7) Construction of a new surgical intensive care unit and 
     renovated operating rooms in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in an 
     amount not to exceed $47,564,000.
       (8) Seismic retrofit and renovation of buildings 100 and 
     101 in Portland, Oregon, in an amount not to exceed 
     $20,000,000.
       (9) Construction of a spinal cord injury building with a 
     community living center, including a parking garage, in San 
     Diego, California, in an amount not to exceed $262,100,000.
       (10) Construction of a new research facility in San 
     Francisco, California, in an amount not to exceed 
     $254,880,000.
       (11) Replacement bed tower and clinical building expansion 
     in St. Louis, Missouri, in an amount not to exceed 
     $135,340,000.
       (12) Construction of a new critical care center in West Los 
     Angeles, California, in an amount not to exceed $115,790,000.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal year 2022 or the year in which funds are appropriated 
     for the Construction, Major Projects account, $3,403,613,000 
     for the projects authorized in subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Trone) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material on H.R. 7500.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7500, the Fiscal Year 
2022 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act.
  I thank my colleague from Texas (Mr. Allred) for his work on this 
bill. I also thank the chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs 
Committee, Senator Tester, for introducing the Senate companion to this 
important legislation.
  Each year, the Department of Veterans Affairs submits an annual 
budget request to Congress, and it is our job to authorize and 
appropriate the funding the VA needs to care for America's veterans and 
their families.
  Within that larger funding request is the VA's request for funds to 
replace and modernize its medical facilities. This year's major 
construction requests total just over $3.4 billion. It will build a 
much-needed spinal cord injury center in Dallas, Texas; erect a new 
surgical intensive care unit and renovate operating rooms in Oklahoma 
City; construct a new critical care center in West Los Angeles; and 
allow for the seismic retrofit and renovation of buildings in Portland, 
Oregon, among other things.
  Mr. Speaker, this Congress, the committee has highlighted VA's aging 
infrastructure. During our oversight efforts, the committee has learned 
that in order to fully recapitalize the Department's portfolio, the VA 
would need roughly $90 billion.

[[Page H4997]]

  Delivering 21st century healthcare in buildings that were built 
during the latter half of the 19th century is far from ideal and 
certainly not what our veterans deserve.
  Given the severity of underfunding as it relates to the VA's capital 
assets, we cannot afford to wait until the AIR Commission provides 
recommendations to Congress and the White House, as my colleagues 
across the aisle would advocate for. Life-safety and seismic issues 
across the portfolio must be recognized now. Regular maintenance should 
not be delayed because of budgetary concerns, nor should we delay 
retrofitting facilities to meet the VA's fastest-growing population, 
women veterans, or delay addressing the lessons learned from this 
Nation's first pandemic in more than 100 years.
  If we are going to build back veterans' trust in the VA, we have to 
start making serious investments in the outdated infrastructure meant 
to serve them, and nearly three-fourths of Americans agree.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support and pass this 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7500, the bill that would 
authorize VA major medical facility construction projects in 
Mississippi, New York, Texas, California, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, 
and Missouri.
  It is well known that the VA healthcare system has very serious 
infrastructure issues. The average VA medical center is decades older 
than the average private-sector hospital.
  Authorizing these projects won't fix that, but it will help thousands 
of veterans who live in those eight States to have better access to the 
care that they have earned and deserve.
  I appreciate Congressmen Allred and Ellzey for their work introducing 
this important bill. It has my full support today. I encourage my 
colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in 
passing H.R. 7500. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 7500.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  May 16, 2022, on page H4997, in the first column the following 
appeared: The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, 
two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. MURPHY 
of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro 
tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the 
affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. 
Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________