[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 26269-26281]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        VETERANS HEALTH CARE FACILITIES CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1720) to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to carry out construction projects for the purpose of 
improving, renovating, establishing, and updating patient care 
facilities at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1720

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans 
     Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Authorization of major medical facility projects for patient 
              care improvements.
Sec. 3. Authorization of major medical facility projects and leases.
Sec. 4. Authorization of major medical facility projects, former 
              Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado.
Sec. 5. Limitation on disposal of Lakeside Division, Department of 
              Veterans Affairs medical facilities, Chicago, Illinois.
Sec. 6. Plans for facilities in southern New Jersey and far South 
              Texas.
Sec. 7. Increase in major medical facility construction cost threshold.
Sec. 8. Study and report on feasibility of coordination of veterans 
              health care services in South Carolina with new 
              university medical center.
Sec. 9. Name of Department of Veterans Affairs health care facility, 
              Chicago, Illinois.
Sec. 10. Name of Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, New 
              London, Connecticut.
Sec. 11. Office of Research Oversight in Veterans Health 
              Administration.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS FOR 
                   PATIENT CARE IMPROVEMENTS.

       (a) In General.--(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs is authorized to carry out 
     major medical facility projects in accordance with this 
     section, using funds appropriated for fiscal year 2004 or 
     2005 pursuant to subsection (e). The cost of any such project 
     may not exceed--
       (A) $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2004; and
       (B) $125,000,000 in fiscal year 2005.
       (2) Projects carried out under this section are not subject 
     to section 8104(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code.
       (3) The Secretary may not award a contract by reason of the 
     authorization provided by paragraph (1) until after the 
     Secretary has awarded a contract for each construction 
     project authorized by section 3(a) and a contract for each 
     lease authorized by section 3(d).
       (b) Type of Projects.--A project carried out under 
     subsection (a) may be carried out only at a Department of 
     Veterans Affairs medical center and only for the purpose of 
     one or more of the following:
       (1) Improving a patient care facility.
       (2) Replacing a patient care facility.
       (3) Renovating a patient care facility.
       (4) Updating a patient care facility to contemporary 
     standards.
       (5) Establishing a new patient care facility at a location 
     where no Department patient care facility exists.
       (6) Improving, replacing, or renovating a research facility 
     or updating such a facility to contemporary standards.
       (c) Purpose of Projects.--In selecting medical centers for 
     projects under subsection (a), the Secretary shall select 
     projects to improve, replace, renovate, update, or establish 
     facilities to achieve one or more of the following:
       (1) Seismic protection improvements related to patient 
     safety (or, in the case of a research facility, patient or 
     employee safety).
       (2) Fire safety improvements.
       (3) Improvements to utility systems and ancillary patient 
     care facilities (including such systems and facilities that 
     may be exclusively associated with research facilities).
       (4) Improved accommodation for persons with disabilities, 
     including barrier-free access.
       (5) Improvements at patient care facilities to specialized 
     programs of the Department, including the following:
       (A) Blind rehabilitation centers.
       (B) Inpatient and residential programs for seriously 
     mentally ill veterans, including mental illness research, 
     education, and clinical centers.
       (C) Residential and rehabilitation programs for veterans 
     with substance-use disorders.
       (D) Physical medicine and rehabilitation activities.
       (E) Long-term care, including geriatric research, 
     education, and clinical centers, adult day care centers, and 
     nursing home care facilities.
       (F) Amputation care, including facilities for prosthetics, 
     orthotics programs, and sensory aids.
       (G) Spinal cord injury centers.
       (H) Traumatic brain injury programs.
       (I) Women veterans' health programs (including particularly 
     programs involving privacy and accommodation for female 
     patients).
       (J) Facilities for hospice and palliative care programs.
       (d) Review Process.--(1) The Secretary shall provide that, 
     before a project is submitted to the Secretary with a 
     recommendation that it be approved as a project to be carried 
     out under the authority of this section, the project shall be 
     reviewed by a board within the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     that is independent of the Veterans Health Administration and 
     that is constituted by the Secretary to evaluate capital 
     investment projects. The board shall review such project to 
     determine the project's relevance to the medical care mission 
     of the Department and whether the project improves, 
     renovates, repairs, establishes, or updates facilities of the 
     Department in accordance with this section.
       (2) In selecting projects to be carried out under the 
     authority provided by this section, the Secretary shall 
     consider the recommendations of the board under paragraph 
     (1). In any case in which the Secretary approves a project to 
     be carried out under this section that was not recommended 
     for such approval by the board under paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary shall include in the report of the Secretary under 
     subsection (g)(2) notice of such approval and the Secretary's 
     reasons for not following the recommendation of the board 
     with respect to that project.
       (e)  Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
     the Construction, Major Projects, account for projects under 
     this section--
       (1) $167,900,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       (2) $600,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
       (f) Limitation.--Projects may be carried out under this 
     section only using funds appropriated pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations in subsection (e), except 
     that funds appropriated for advance planning may be used for 
     the purposes for which appropriated in connection with such 
     projects.
       (g) Reports.--(1) Not later than April 1, 2005, the 
     Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on 
     Veterans' Affairs and on Appropriations of the Senate and 
     House of Representatives a report evaluating the advantages 
     and disadvantages of congressional authorization for projects 
     of the type described in subsection (b) through general 
     authorization as provided by subsection (a), rather than 
     through specific authorization as would otherwise be 
     applicable under section 8104(a)(2) of title 38, United 
     States Code. Such report shall include a description of the 
     actions of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs during fiscal 
     year 2004 to select and carry out projects under this 
     section.
       (2) Not later than 120 days after the date on which the 
     site for the final project under this section for each such 
     fiscal year is selected, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     committees referred to in paragraph (1) a report on the 
     authorization process under this section. The Secretary shall 
     include in each such report the following:
       (A) A listing by project of each such project selected by 
     the Secretary under that section, together with a prospectus 
     description of the purposes of the project, the estimated 
     cost of the project, and a statement attesting to the review 
     of the project under subsection (c), and, if that project was 
     not recommended by the board, the Secretary's justification 
     under subsection (d) for not following the recommendation of 
     the board.
       (B) An assessment of the utility to the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs of that authorization process.
       (C) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers 
     appropriate for future congressional policy for 
     authorizations of major and minor medical facility 
     construction projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (D) Any other matter that the Secretary considers to be 
     appropriate with respect to oversight by Congress of capital 
     facilities projects of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS AND 
                   LEASES.

       (a) Project Authorizations.--The Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs may carry out the following major medical facility 
     projects, with each project to be carried out in the amount 
     specified for that project:
       (1) Construction of a new bed tower to consolidate two 
     inpatient sites of care in inner city Chicago at the West 
     Side Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs health 
     care

[[Page 26270]]

     system in Chicago, Illinois, in an amount not to exceed 
     $98,500,000.
       (2) Seismic corrections to strengthen Medical Center 
     Building 1 of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care 
     system in San Diego, California, in an amount not to exceed 
     $48,600,000.
       (3) A project for (A) renovation of all inpatient care 
     wards at the West Haven, Connecticut, facility of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs health system in Connecticut 
     to improve the environment of care and enhance safety, 
     privacy, and accessibility, and (B) establishment of a 
     consolidated medical research facility at that facility, in 
     an amount not to exceed $50,000,000.
       (4) Construction of a medical facility on available Federal 
     land at the Defense Supply Center, Columbus, Ohio, in an 
     amount not to exceed $90,000,000.
       (5) Construction of a Department of Veterans Affairs-
     Department of Navy joint venture, comprehensive outpatient 
     medical care facility to be built on the grounds of the 
     Pensacola Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, in an amount 
     not to exceed $45,000,000.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal year 2004 for the Construction, Major Projects, 
     account $332,100,000 for the projects authorized in 
     subsection (a).
       (c) Limitation.--The projects authorized in subsection (a) 
     may only be carried out using--
       (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2004 pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations in subsection (b);
       (2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2004 that remain 
     available for obligation; and
       (3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for fiscal year 2004 for a category of activity not specific 
     to a project.
       (d) Authorization of Major Medical Facility Leases.--The 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into leases as 
     follows:
       (1) For an outpatient clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina, 
     in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000.
       (2) For facilities for a multi-specialty outpatient clinic 
     for the Veterans Health Administration and a satellite office 
     for the Veterans Benefits Administration in Clark County, 
     Nevada, at an annual lease amount not to exceed $6,500,000.
       (3) For facilities authorized in section 4 at the site of 
     the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado, 
     in an amount not to exceed $30,000,000.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS, 
                   FORMER FITZSIMONS ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, AURORA, 
                   COLORADO.

       (a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     carry out major medical facility projects under section 8104 
     of title 38, United States Code, at the site of the former 
     Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado. Projects to 
     be carried out at such site shall be selected by the 
     Secretary and may include inpatient and outpatient facilities 
     providing acute, sub-acute, primary, and long-term care 
     services. The cost of projects under this section shall be 
     limited to--
       (1) an amount not to exceed a total of $300,000,000 if 
     either direct construction or a combination of direct 
     construction and leasing is selected by the Secretary under 
     subsection (b); and
       (2) no more than $30,000,000 per year in leasing costs if a 
     leasing option is selected by the Secretary as the sole 
     option under subsection (b).
       (b) Selection of Option.--The Secretary of Veterans shall 
     select the option to carry out the authority provided in 
     subsection (a) of either--
       (1) direct construction by the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs or a combination of direct construction and leasing; 
     or
       (2) leasing alone.
       (c) Consultation With Secretary of Defense.--The Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs shall consult with the Secretary of 
     Defense in carrying out this section. Such consultation shall 
     include consideration of establishing a Department of 
     Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense joint health-care 
     venture at the site of the project or projects under 
     subsection (a).
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006 for ``Construction, Major 
     Projects'' for the purposes authorized in subsection (a).
       (e) Limitation.--The projects authorized in subsection (a) 
     may only be carried out using--
       (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2004, 2005, or 2006 
     pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in subsection 
     (a);
       (2) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2004 that remain 
     available for obligation; and
       (3) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for fiscal year 2004, 2005, or 2006 for a category of 
     activity not specific to a project.
       (f) Report to Congressional Committees.--After complying 
     with applicable provisions of the National Environmental 
     Policy Act of 1969, but not later than one year after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
     to the Committees on Appropriations and the Committees on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives 
     a report on this section. The report shall include the 
     following:
       (1) Notice of the option selected by the Secretary pursuant 
     to subsection (b) to carry out the authority provided by 
     subsection (a).
       (2) Information on any further planning required to carry 
     out the authority provided in subsection (a).
       (3) Other information of assistance to the committees with 
     respect to such authority.

     SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON DISPOSAL OF LAKESIDE DIVISION, 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL 
                   FACILITIES, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

       (a) Limitation.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not 
     make a final disposal under section 8162 of title 38, United 
     States Code, of the Lakeside Division facility of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities in Chicago, 
     Illinois, until the Secretary has entered into a contract for 
     the construction project authorized by section 3(a)(1).
       (b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     ``disposal'', with respect to the Lakeside Division facility, 
     includes entering into a long-term lease or sharing agreement 
     under which a party other than the Secretary has operational 
     control of the facility.

     SEC. 6. PLANS FOR FACILITIES IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND FAR 
                   SOUTH TEXAS.

       (a) Plan.--(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     develop--
       (A) a plan to establish an inpatient facility to meet 
     hospital care needs of veterans who reside in southern New 
     Jersey; and
       (B) a plan for hospital care needs of veterans who reside 
     in far south Texas.
       (2) In developing the plans under paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary shall, at a minimum, consider options using the 
     existing authorities of section 8111 and 8153 of title 38, 
     United States Code--
       (A) to establish a hospital staffed and managed by 
     employees of the Department, either in private or public 
     facilities, including Federal facilities; or
       (B) to enter into contracts with existing private 
     facilities and private providers for that care.
       (b) Reports.--The Secretary shall submit to the Committees 
     on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
     Representatives a report on each plan under subsection (a) 
     not later than January 31, 2004.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) The term ``far south Texas'' means the following 
     counties of the State of Texas: Bee, Calhoun, Crockett, 
     DeWitt, Dimmit, Goliad, Jackson, Victoria, Webb, Aransas, 
     Duval, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, 
     Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr, Willacy, 
     and Zapata.
       (2) The term ``southern New Jersey'' means the following 
     counties of the State of New Jersey: Ocean, Burlington, 
     Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape 
     May.

     SEC. 7. INCREASE IN MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY CONSTRUCTION COST 
                   THRESHOLD.

       Section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking ``$4,000,000'' and inserting 
     ``$6,000,000''.

     SEC. 8. STUDY AND REPORT ON FEASIBILITY OF COORDINATION OF 
                   VETERANS HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN SOUTH CAROLINA 
                   WITH NEW UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER.

       (a) Study Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall conduct a study to examine the feasibility of 
     coordination by the Department of Veterans Affairs of its 
     needs for inpatient hospital, medical care, and long-term 
     care services for veterans with the pending construction of a 
     new university medical center at the Medical University of 
     South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
       (b) Matters To Be Included in Study.--(1) As part of the 
     study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider the 
     following:
       (A) Integration with the Medical University of South 
     Carolina of some or all of the services referred to in 
     subsection (a) through contribution to the construction of 
     that university's new medical facility or by becoming a 
     tenant provider in that new facility.
       (B) Construction by the Department of Veterans Affairs of a 
     new independent inpatient or outpatient facility alongside or 
     nearby the university's new facility.
       (2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
     consider the degree to which the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs and the university medical center would be able to 
     share expensive technologies and scarce specialty services 
     that would affect any such plans of the Secretary or the 
     university.
       (3) In carrying out the study, the Secretary shall 
     especially consider the applicability of the authorities 
     under section 8153 of title 38, United States Code (relating 
     to sharing of health care resources between the Department 
     and community provider organizations) to govern future 
     arrangements and relationship between the Department and the 
     Medical University of South Carolina.
       (c) Consultation With Secretary of Defense.--The Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs shall consult with the Secretary of 
     Defense in carrying out the study under this section. Such 
     consultation shall include consideration of establishing a 
     Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense joint

[[Page 26271]]

     health-care venture at the site referred to in subsection 
     (a).
       (d) Report.--Not later than March 31, 2004, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and House of Representatives a report on the results 
     of the study. The report shall include the Secretary's 
     recommendations with respect to coordination described in 
     subsection (a), including recommendations with respect to 
     each of the matters referred to in subsection (b).

     SEC. 9. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE 
                   FACILITY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

        The Department of Veterans Affairs health care facility 
     located at 820 South Damen Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, shall 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and 
     designated as the ``Jesse Brown Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Medical Center''. Any reference to such facility in 
     any law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of 
     the United States shall be considered to be a reference to 
     the Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
     Center.

     SEC. 10. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTPATIENT 
                   CLINIC, NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

       The Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic 
     located in New London, Connecticut, shall after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the 
     ``John J. McGuirk Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient 
     Clinic''. Any reference to such outpatient clinic in any law, 
     regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the 
     United States shall be considered to be a reference to the 
     John J. McGuirk Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient 
     Clinic.

     SEC. 11. OFFICE OF RESEARCH OVERSIGHT IN VETERANS HEALTH 
                   ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) Statutory Charter.--(1) Chapter 73 of title 38, United 
     States Code, is amended by inserting after section 7306 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 7307. Office of Research Oversight

       ``(a) Requirement for Office.--(1) There is in the Veterans 
     Health Administration an Office of Research Oversight 
     (hereinafter in this section referred to as the `Office'). 
     The Office shall advise the Under Secretary for Health on 
     matters of compliance and assurance in human subjects 
     protections, animal welfare, research safety, and research 
     impropriety and misconduct. The Office shall function 
     independently of entities within the Veterans Health 
     Administration with responsibility for the conduct of medical 
     research programs.
       ``(2) The Office shall--
       ``(A) monitor, review, and investigate matters of medical 
     research compliance and assurance in the Department with 
     respect to human subjects protections and animal welfare; and
       ``(B) monitor, review, and investigate matters relating to 
     the protection and safety of human subjects, research 
     animals, and Department employees participating in medical 
     research in Department programs.
       ``(b) Director.--(1) The head of the Office shall be a 
     Director, who shall report directly to the Under Secretary 
     for Health (without delegation).
       ``(2) Any person appointed as Director shall be--
       ``(A) an established expert in the field of medical 
     research, administration of medical research programs, or 
     similar fields; and
       ``(B) qualified to carry out the duties of the Office based 
     on demonstrated experience and expertise.
       ``(c) Functions.--(1) The Director shall report to the 
     Under Secretary for Health on matters relating to protections 
     of human subjects and laboratory animals under any applicable 
     Federal law and regulation, the safety of employees involved 
     in Department medical research programs, and suspected 
     misconduct and impropriety in such programs. In carrying out 
     the preceding sentence, the Director shall consult with 
     employees of the Veterans Health Administration who are 
     responsible for management and conduct of Department medical 
     research programs.
       ``(2) The matters to be reported by the Director to the 
     Under Secretary under paragraph (1) include the following:
       ``(A) Lack of required integrity of content, validity of 
     approach, and ethical conduct of employees in Department 
     medical research programs.
       ``(B) Allegations of research impropriety and misconduct by 
     employees engaged in medical research programs of the 
     Department.
       ``(3)(A) When the Director determines that such a 
     recommendation is warranted, the Director may recommend to 
     the Under Secretary that a Department research activity be 
     terminated, suspended, or restricted, in whole or in part.
       ``(B) In a case in which the Director reasonably believes 
     that activities of a medical research project of the 
     Department place human subjects' lives or health at imminent 
     risk, the Director shall direct that activities under that 
     project be immediately suspended or, as appropriate and 
     specified by the Director, be limited.
       ``(d) General Functions.--(1) The Director shall conduct 
     periodic inspections and reviews, as the Director determines 
     appropriate, of medical research programs of the Department. 
     Such inspections and reviews shall include review of required 
     documented assurances.
       ``(2) The Director shall observe external accreditation 
     activities conducted for accreditation of medical research 
     programs conducted in facilities of the Department.
       ``(3) The Director shall investigate allegations of 
     research impropriety and misconduct in medical research 
     projects of the Department.
       ``(4) The Director shall submit to the Under Secretary for 
     Health, the Secretary, and the Committees on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
     on any suspected lapse, from whatever cause or causes, in 
     protecting safety of human subjects and others, including 
     employees, in medical research programs.
       ``(5) The Director shall carry out such other duties as the 
     Under Secretary for Health may require.
       ``(e) Source of Funds.--Amounts for the activities of the 
     Office, including its regional offices, shall be derived from 
     amounts appropriated for the Veterans Health Administration 
     for Medical Care.
       ``(f) Annual Report.--Not later than March 15 each year, 
     the Director of the Office shall submit to the Committees on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives 
     a report on the activities of the Office during the preceding 
     calendar year. Each such report shall include, with respect 
     to that year, the following:
       ``(1) A summary of reviews of individual medical research 
     programs of the Department completed by the Office.
       ``(2) Directives and other communications issued by the 
     Office to field activities of the Department.
       ``(3) Results of any investigations undertaken by the 
     Office during the reporting period consonant with the 
     purposes of this section.
       ``(4) Other information that would be of interest to those 
     committees in oversight of the Department medical research 
     program.
       ``(g) Medical Research.--For purposes of this section, the 
     term `medical research' has the meaning given such term in 
     section 7303(a)(2) of this title.''.
       (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter 
     is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
     7306 the following new item:

``7307. Office of Research Oversight.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 7303 of title 38, United 
     States Code, is amended by striking subsection (e).
       (c) Comptroller General Report.--(1) The Comptroller 
     General shall conduct a study to assess--
       (A) the effects of the establishment by law of the Office 
     of Research Oversight in section 7307 of title 38, United 
     States Code, as added by subsection (a);
       (B) the effects of the specification by law of the 
     functions of that Office; and
       (C) improvements in the conduct of ethical medical research 
     in the Veterans Health Administration.
       (2) Not later than January 1, 2006, the Comptroller General 
     shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     House and Senate a report on the study conducted under 
     paragraph (1). The Comptroller General shall include in the 
     report such recommendations for legislation and 
     administrative action as the Comptroller General considers 
     appropriate.
       (d) Report by Secretary of Veterans Affairs.--Not later 
     than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
     Committees on Veterans Affairs' of the Senate and House of 
     Representatives a report setting forth the results of the 
     implementation of section 7307 of title 38, United States 
     Code, as added by subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House is today considering H.R. 
1720, as amended, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital 
Improvement Act. Enactment of this measure would be a significant step 
in addressing the problem of crumbling and substandard health care 
facilities for our Nation's veterans.
  I want to just say at the outset how very delighted and pleased I am 
that the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) is here. As the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and the prime sponsor of this 
bill, he has worked many, many hours in crafting this legislation. I 
want to really pay him the highest compliment for the extraordinarily 
good work he did in writing this legislation. I thank the gentleman for 
his leadership on this. I

[[Page 26272]]

would also like to thank my friends on the other side of the aisle for 
their good, hard work. This is a bipartisan bill that we present to the 
House today, and I hope it will get the full support and assent of this 
body.
  Mr. Speaker, most VA hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and research 
facilities have ongoing needs for maintenance, repair, and 
modernization to promote patient and employee safety and provide a 
higher standard of care for our Nation's veterans. For example, 
hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to address problems at many 
VA facilities that could suffer severe damage in the event of an 
earthquake. However, projects to address these and other deficiencies 
have been put on the shelf while VA contemplates and completes its 
CARES process.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs is currently undertaking, as I 
think many Members know, a market-based national assessment to 
determine whether its present health care facilities meet current and 
future veterans' health care needs. The VA's process for achieving this 
goal, called the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services, or 
CARES, is intended to produce a national plan which the Secretary will 
then approve or disapprove by the end of the year. Members, I am sure, 
or at least some Members, are aware that while the VA has an aggressive 
schedule for completing the planning process, the implementation of 
this plan will take many years to complete. In the meantime, a number 
of pressing construction needs have been identified.
  The committee has been vigilant to avoid authorizing projects at 
facilities that might not be needed to serve the future needs of our 
veterans. All of the projects authorized by our committee in recent 
authorization measures would serve veterans for many years after they 
have been completed. Similarly, the projects authorized in this bill 
would improve health care for veterans for 20 years or more and are a 
wise and, we believe, worthy investment for this Nation to make on 
behalf of our veterans.
  Let me just say, Mr. Speaker, there are a number of additions to this 
bill that were made precisely because Members came to us and made very 
persuasive argument as to why they need to be included. The gentleman 
from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Beauprez), a member of the committee, really pushed hard on the 
Fitzsimons project. That is included in here. The gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo) from my own State made a very strong estimate and 
gave us documentation for a study. That is included in here. There are 
others that came to us, again made their cases, cogent cases that they 
were; and those have been included in this authorization measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased the House is considering H.R. 1720, as 
amended, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act. 
Enactment of this measure would be a significant step in addressing the 
problem of crumbling and substandard health care facilities for our 
Nation's veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, most VA hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and research 
facilities have ongoing needs for maintenance, repair and modernization 
to promote patient and employee safety and provide a higher standard of 
care for our Nation's veterans. For example, hundreds of millions of 
dollars are needed to address problems at many VA facilities that could 
suffer severe damage in the event of an earthquake. However projects to 
address these and other deficiencies have been ``put on the shelf'' 
while VA completes its CARES process.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs is currently undertaking a market-
based national assessment to determine whether its present health care 
facilities meet current and future veterans' health care needs. The 
VA's process for achieving this goal, called Capital Asset Realignment 
for Enhanced Services, or CARES, is intended to produce a national plan 
which the Secretary will then approve or disapprove by the end of this 
year. While VA has an aggressive schedule for completing the planning 
process, the implementation of this plan will take many years to 
complete. In the meantime, a number of pressing construction needs have 
been identified.
  The VA Committee has been vigilant to avoid authorizing projects at 
facilities that might not be needed to serve the future needs of 
veterans. All of the projects authorized by our committee in recent 
authorization measures would serve veterans for many years after they 
have been completed. Similarly, the projects authorized in this bill 
would improve health care for veterans for 20 years or more, and are a 
wise and worthy investment for this Nation to make on behalf of 
veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, we are coming to a crossroads in the pattern of funding 
for VA health care facilities. A consultant's report in June 1998 
concluded that VA should be spending (at a minimum) from 2 percent to 4 
percent of its ``plant replacement value'' on upkeep and replacement of 
its health care facilities. The value of VA facilities was estimated to 
be $35 billion in 1998; thus, VA should be spending from $700 million 
to $1.4 billion each year to keep pace with its capital needs. Sadly, 
VA only received $213 million in VA construction funding for fiscal 
year 2003 and only requested $421 million for fiscal year 2004.
  When the Undersecretary for Health submitted his admittedly 
incomplete CARES plan to the Secretary's CARES commission earlier this 
year, it called for a minimum of $3.5 billion in new construction over 
the next 5 years. I say the plan was incomplete because it excluded 
funding for projects that would enhance VA's ability to provide 
veterans with long-term care. The VA Committee has called on the CARES 
Commission to address this serious shortcoming. Nevertheless, a plan to 
spend $3.5 to $4 billion over the next 5 years means that Congress will 
need to appropriate $700 to $800 million every year during that period. 
Mr. Speaker, even though the deficit outlook for the next several years 
is not good, this is an obligation that has been put off long enough. 
The failure to begin addressing this huge backlog in renovation and 
modernization projects can only lead to inefficiency and inferior care 
for veterans in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1720, as amended, would authorize the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to improve, establish, restore or replace VA health 
care facilities where necessary. The Committee decided in the last 
Congress that there is a demonstrable need to provide a more flexible 
and responsive authorization process to address the overwhelming 
backlog of construction projects, and this bill continues with that 
approach.
  Under this bill, the Secretary would be authorized to approve 
individual facility projects, based on the decisions of a capital 
investments board that must carefully and objectively consider each 
proposed construction project. The bill provides criteria to be used by 
the board that would place a premium on projects to protect patient 
safety and privacy, improve seismic protection, and provide barrier-
free accommodations. It would also emphasize improving VA patient care 
facilities areas of particular concern, such as specialized care 
programs, in order to meet the contemporary standard of care veterans 
deserve and need.
  H.R. 1720 would require the Secretary to report his actions on 
construction to this Committee and to the Committee on Appropriations, 
and would mandate a review of the delegated-project approach by the 
General Accounting Office, to ensure this is an effective mechanism to 
advance VA medical construction during and after the CARES process.
  The bill also would authorize construction of a specific set of 
urgent major medical projects as follows: Clark County, NV--the lease 
of a multi-specialty outpatient clinic and Veterans Benefits 
Administration satellite office at an annual rent not to exceed 
$6,500,000; Columbus, OH--$90,000,000 to construct a new VA medical 
center; West Haven, CT--$50,000,000 to renovate inpatient wards and 
research facilities at the Wet Haven VA medical center; Chicago, IL--
$98,500,000 to consolidate inpatient care in a new bed tower at the 
West Side Division; San Diego, CA--$48,600,000 for seismic corrections 
to Building 1 at the San Diego VA medical center; and Pensacola, FL--
$45,000,000 to construct a joint-venture outpatient clinic at the 
Pensacola Naval Air Station. The bill would require the Secretary to 
move forward on these projects first before awarding construction 
contracts under the general construction delegation provided by the 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill would authorize appropriations of $500 million 
in fiscal year 2004 and $600 million in fiscal year 2005 to accommodate 
construction projects under the various authorities provided. 
Additionally, the bill would authorize the appropriation of $300 
million over 3 years for the replacement VA medical center near Denver 
CO, at the former Fitzsimons site.
  Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, H.R. 1720, as amended, includes the 
provisions of H.R. 116, a bill to authorize a joint VA-Air Force health 
care facility to be located on the grounds of the ``New Fitzsimons'' 
campus of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, in

[[Page 26273]]

Aurora, CO. The bill would require the Secretary, after consulting with 
the Secretary of Defense, to decide how to replace the 57-year-old 
Denver medical center with a new Federal Regional Medical Center in 
Aurora. There is a unique opportunity at this location to enhance VA-
DOD sharing by jointly constructing or leasing a premier health 
treatment facility as a joint venture of the VA, the Department of the 
Air Force, and the University. We certainly expect that both the Air 
Force and the VA will find a way to execute this plan in a manner that 
advances the interests of the American taxpayer and the beneficiaries 
served by the two Departments.
  I want to commend Chairman Joel Hefley and Representative Bob 
Beauprez, a Member of the VA Committee, for spurring this project 
forward. We would not be considering this measure on the floor of the 
House today without their hard work and individual efforts to help make 
this project a reality.
  H.R. 1720 would also require VA to conduct a study and report on the 
feasibility of constructing a new medical center for veterans in 
Charleston, SC, and a study for meeting the inpatient hospitalization 
needs of southern New Jersey veterans. The Committee appreciates the 
work of Mr. Brown, the chairman of our Subcommittee on Benefits, and 
Mr. LoBiondo, the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation, for their insight in crafting these 
two provisions.
  The final measures in the bill, Mr. Speaker, would designate the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in New London, CT, as 
the John J. McGuirk Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, 
and the VA Medical Center at 820 S. Damon Street in Chicago, IL, the 
Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
  Our bipartisan bill would also honor the late Jesse Brown, former 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, for his exemplary service to his country 
as a combat-wounded U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam war and 
dedicated leader of the Department of Veterans. Mr. Brown enlisted in 
the Marine Corps in 1963 and was seriously wounded in Vietnam. Mr. 
Brown's career in veterans' advocacy spanned his entire remaining life. 
He served with distinction in the Clinton administration as the third 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and is buried at Arlington National 
Cemetery.
  Naming the West Side VA Medical Center after Jesse Brown would 
appropriately memorialize his accomplishments and commitment to 
improving the quality of life of all veterans.
  The final provision in this bill adds a new degree of accountability 
to the VA medical research program. The provision is the result of 
efforts by two of the Committee's Subcommittee chairmen, Mr. Buyer and 
Mr. Simmons. Their proposal is supported by Ms. Hooley and Mr. 
Rodriguez, their respective ranking members.
  The language of section 11, which is taken from H.R. 1585 as revised 
by our Subcommittee on Health requires VA to maintain a permanent and 
independent research compliance and assurance office. While 
establishment of this office may not provide a complete shield against 
possible future abuses, it does send a clear message that the Congress 
expects compliance with rules already in place to assure protection of 
human subjects who participate in research sponsored by VA.
  Finally, I want to thank the Committee's ranking member, Lane Evans, 
for his support of this legislation, and for the work of the chairman 
and ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, Rob Simmons and Ciro 
Rodriguez, respectively, for considering this bill in a timely fashion.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1720, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1720. I would like to thank VA 
Committee Chairman Smith and Health Subcommittee Chairman Simmons for 
working closely with all of us on this side of the aisle on this 
important issue. I also want to thank our ranking member, the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for his steadfast support and hard work on 
this legislation. I also want to thank Chairman Smith and the entire 
staff for working with us to bring this measure before the House for 
consideration today.
  This bill contains authorizations for many worthwhile, major medical 
construction projects.

                              {time}  1245

  Congress has put a virtual stop to appropriations for major medical 
construction projects over the last 4 years since the General 
Accounting Office released a report that suggested the VA was spending 
too much money maintaining buildings that were not being used to serve 
veterans.
  Since fiscal year 2000, Congress has appropriated $121 million for 
major medical projects. That is about $6 million less than experts 
recommend for maintaining and enhancing capital assets. But while 
spending for major medical construction projects has declined, the 
number of veterans moving into States like my own, the State of Nevada, 
continues to explode, and the need for expanded facilities is not being 
met.
  Southern Nevada's veterans population is one of the fastest glowing 
in the Nation, and is getting larger every day. The VA predicts that 
the number of annual visits by veterans in the Las Vegas Valley to 
their primary health care clinic will rise from 200,000 to more than 
half a million by 2010, that is a mere 7 years from now, and the number 
of hospital beds needed to serve the veterans in my community will 
increase by over 50 percent.
  The VA is already struggling to address and meet the current demands 
of the VA health care structure in the Las Vegas Valley. Last year, 
1,500 southern Nevada veterans were sent to neighboring States because 
they could not provide the needed services locally. This is an unfair 
burden on these veterans and their families. They should not have to 
travel hundreds much miles away for care.
  In addition, due to the decrepit conditions and structural 
deficiencies, the VA evacuated the Guy Clinic, only 5 years old, 
forcing veterans to rely on a string of temporary clinics scattered 
across the Las Vegas Valley. Imagine, if you will, what it is like for 
an 80-year-old veteran waiting in the desert heat, sometimes up to 110 
degrees, to be shuttled from clinic to clinic to receive the health 
care he needs.
  For example, a veteran who needs a CT scan may have to shuttle from a 
temporary site which houses the CT scan technology to then another site 
to obtain a prescription for a controlled narcotic that he needs, and 
then to a third site for mental health services.
  Female veterans who need mammograms have to shuttle to different 
clinics just for that one particular service.
  As one 81-year-old World War II veteran described the situation, 
``You are going from one place to another and it gets confusing. Don't 
our veterans deserve a permanent facility to meet all their health care 
needs?''
  In short, southern Nevada is facing a veterans health care crisis. At 
the time H.R. 1720 was introduced and passed by the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs, the VA recognized Las Vegas was in need of a new, 
multispecialty outpatient clinic. H.R. 1720 authorized $6.5 million for 
annual leases for that clinic. However, in the time since the 
legislation has been acted on by the committee, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs released the CARES document which proposed $4.6 
billion worth of construction, reflecting only a portion of the growing 
backlog and veterans growing demand for services.
  The VA's average healthcare facility is about 52 years old, so 
updates are essential. The failure to make investments has put the VA 
way behind in addressing such urgent needs as seismic corrections, 
renovations to address patient safety, and privacy concerns and 
problems that threaten VA's accreditation by outside quality assurance 
agencies.
  To address the concern about underutilized buildings, the VA embarked 
upon a process to identify veterans needs for health care for the next 
20 years. The CARES plan calls for the construction of a full-scale 
medical facility in Las Vegas, including a full-service patient care 
hospital, an outpatient clinic and a comprehensive long-term care 
nursing facility in Las Vegas.
  In light of the VA's new plan for a veterans health care facility, I 
ask the committee to continue to work with me to update the 
authorization level to reflect the demands in southern Nevada and to 
allocate funds for a full-service VA medical complex.

[[Page 26274]]

  America's veterans served our Nation, and now we must honor our 
commitment to those brave men and women. Providing high-quality health 
care is part of keeping our promise to these heroes and sends an 
important message to our troops now deployed at home and abroad in 
defense of our Nation. These future veterans, many of whom will soon 
call Nevada home, will also one day be eligible for VA care. Investing 
now will ensure that we will be able to serve the health care needs of 
our veterans, today and in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield for the purpose of 
making a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
BUYER), who wrote section 11 dealing with human research protection.
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and thank the 
chairman for including my bill to ensure human subject protection in 
research.
  Mr. Speaker, today we are considering H.R. 1720, the Veterans Health 
Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act, legislation designed to 
authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major 
facilities construction projects to improve, renovate, replace, update, 
and establish care facilities across the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  One provision I would like to draw your attention to is section 11 of 
the bill. Section 11 guarantees that there is an independent oversight 
body within the Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs to oversee research compliance and assurance.
  This provision addresses the important issue of human subjects 
protection in VA medical research. Since 1999 several hearings have 
been held by the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations. I compliment the work of then Subcommittee Chairman 
Terry Everett of Alabama, who also worked to ensure that necessary 
actions are taken to assure that our Nation's most vulnerable veterans 
are protected and not subjected to harm.
  This provision is the final language that was worked out by my 
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Subcommittee Chairman 
Simmons of the Health Subcommittee and it reflects the original intent 
of H.R. 1585, a bill I introduced because I wanted to ensure that our 
Nation's most vulnerable veterans are protected and not in any way 
harmed by the very system whose mission it is to safeguard their safety 
and well being.
  In particular, this bill does the following:
  Establishes an independent office to oversee research compliance and 
assurance;
  Provides that the new office counsels the Under Secretary for Health 
on all matters related to the protection of human research subjects, 
research misconduct and impropriety, laboratory animal welfare; ethical 
conduct of research; and research safety;
  That the office shall investigate allegations of research misconduct 
and impropriety; suspend or restrict research to ensure the safety, and 
ethical treatment of human subjects; preserve the integrity and 
validity of research; prevent mistreatment of laboratory animals used 
in research; and assure compliance in the conduct of research;
  The director of the office shall conduct periodic inspections at 
research facilities; observe external accreditation site visits; 
investigate allegations of research misconduct and improprieties;
  It requires the immediate notification of the Under Secretary for 
Health when endangerment of human research subjects is evident or 
suspected and requires that Congress be notified when research 
misconduct or impropriety has been discovered;
  This bill provides that funding for the new office would be 
independent from the Office of Research and Development; and
  Finally, this bill mandates that the Comptroller General of the 
United States conduct a study of the effectiveness of the new office 
and submit a report to Congress by January 1, 2006.
  This legislation has strong bipartisan support. I would like to thank 
all the cosponsors of the original bill. In particular, I would like to 
thank Chairman Chris Smith and Ranking Member Lane Evans and the 
Ranking Member of my Subcommittee, Darlene Hooley for their 
cosponsorship and support. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 1720 and 
strengthen VA research programs so our veterans are never placed in a 
harmful environment.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the prime 
sponsor of this legislation and the chairman of our Subcommittee on 
Health.
  Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking 
members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for all of their hard 
work on this legislation. I also thank my ranking member on the Health 
Subcommittee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), for all of his 
work. This legislation constitutes a bipartisan effort to fund medical 
health care facilities for our Nation's veterans.
  When I first assumed the chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
Subcommittee on Health, I was committed to providing the resources 
necessary to improve these health care facilities for our veterans, and 
this has been a bipartisan enterprise for the past 9 months. This 
legislation is the fruit of that work, and I think this legislation 
speaks very well for the bipartisan effort that we made on the 
subcommittee and the committee.
  Among other things, this legislation would authorize specific 
construction projects, such as in Clark County, Nevada, where we just 
heard about the multispecialty outpatient clinic; in Columbus, Ohio, a 
new VA medical center; and in West Haven, Connecticut, renovations of a 
facility that was first built in 1917.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that the State of Connecticut 
built this facility in 1917 as a tuberculosis and a neuropsychiatric 
hospital, and I am proud of the fact it is affiliated with Yale 
University's School of Medicine, which is one of the premier schools of 
medicine in the United States. But the question we have to address to 
ourselves, not only with this facility but these other facilities, is 
how efficient are they in today's day and age? How is the morale of VA 
employees, when they work in facilities that are almost 100 years old? 
How can we clean them and maintain the standards of sanitation that we 
want as we treat our veterans population? How can old hospital wards 
become more user-friendly and accommodate the new technologies for 
dealing with our veterans? And is there enough renovated space for 
these purposes?
  That is why we are moving forward to authorize certain construction 
projects, such as in Chicago, Illinois, consolidating inpatient care in 
a new bed tower in the West Side Division; or in San Diego, California, 
doing almost $50 million worth of seismic corrections to Building I at 
the VA medical center; or in Pensacola, Florida, a joint-venture 
outpatient clinic at the Pensacola Naval Air Station where the Veterans 
Administration and the Department of Defense are sharing resources and 
sharing technologies to come up with a joint facility, something that 
saves our taxpayers a tremendous amount of money.
  In the aggregate, Mr. Speaker, this bill would authorize 
appropriations of $500 million in fiscal year 2004 and $600 million in 
fiscal year 2005 to accommodate the construction projects under the 
various authorities provided.
  One of these major construction projects, and you will hear from some 
of our other Members shortly, is the ``New Fitzsimons'' Campus of the 
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. What the bill would 
require is that the Secretary of Defense and the Veterans 
Administration work together to create a new medical center in that 
area to serve our veterans population.
  We have also authorized a joint project in Charleston, South 
Carolina, where we will do a feasibility study for a new medical 
center, I commend my colleague, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Brown) for his work on that project. And also an inpatient 
hospitalization needs study for southern New Jersey, something that my 
colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), has been 
involved with.
  So as we work our way through the details of this legislation, Mr. 
Speaker, it should become clear that this is a joint effort and a joint 
product by all members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the 
Subcommittee on Health to come up with a hospital authorization bill 
that serves the needs of all of our veterans, north and south, east and 
west, nationwide.

[[Page 26275]]

  Mr. Speaker, this legislation we are voting on today will help us 
improve, upgrade and even replace VA facilities in specialized areas of 
concern, such as spinal cord injury care, hemodialysis, long term care 
and medical research. Our bill also gives the VA Secretary flexibility 
to move forward on both high priority projects and the CARES process 
together. So this is a compromise bill and one that all Members can 
support.
  This bill would also improve protection and safety of VA medical 
research programs. VA research is internationally recognized and has 
made important contributions in virtually every area of medicine and 
health. But it still needs watchful oversight. I thank the gentleman 
from Indiana, Mr. Buyer, for his leadership in crafting these 
provisions as part of this legislation, which I strongly support, and I 
thank our Full Committee Chairman for agreeing to move this measure 
forward as a part of our construction bill.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation would also designate the Department of 
Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in New London, Connecticut, the 
``John J. McGuirk Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic''.
  I am very pleased that our bill would memorialize the life and work 
of Mr. John J. McGuirk of Connecticut. John was active in promoting 
improved care and more available VA clinics in his beloved State of 
Connecticut. He was a role model to many of us in the veterans' 
community, and was particularly committed to working on behalf of 
disabled and elderly veterans--those with the greatest need for ready 
access to VA health care. His death in 1999 was a loss to all the 
veterans of my State.
  John J. McGuirk, a native of the Constitution State, enlisted in the 
United States Navy in World War II. He served as an enlisted man in the 
dangerous occupation of salvage diver. Hazarding death and injury every 
day of his Navy service, Mr. McGuirk worked across the South Pacific 
from Pearl Harbor to Manila, Philippines. He served aboard the salvage 
ship, USS Laysan Island, in clearing war devastation in Manila Bay. 
John McGuirk was decorated with the Philippines Liberation Medal, the 
American Theatre Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Theatre Medal and the World 
War II Victory Medal.
  When Mr. McGuirk's obligation to the United States Navy was 
discharged at the war's end, his personal obligation to his country and 
fellow veterans endured and became his lifelong commitment.
  Mr. McGuirk's advocacy resulted in VA activating a system of 
community-based clinics across the State, providing primary care to 
thousands of veterans. John McGuirk played an instrumental role in VA's 
opening of the community clinic on the grounds of the U.S. Coast Guard 
Academy in New London.
  John actively served in Post Number Nine of the American Legion of 
Connecticut for the entirety of his adult life, including two stints as 
Post Commander, as well as Finance Officer and Service Officer. He was 
also a member of the Disabled Veterans of America and of U.S. Submarine 
Veterans, Inc.
  I am proud to promote this effort to memorialize the name of a good 
man, a war veteran and a man of peace, John J. McGuirk of Connecticut. 
This gesture is but a token of the esteem and affection we hold for him 
and his lasting contribution to our State and his service to our 
veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1720, as 
amended. I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman 
Smith), our Subcommittee on Health chairman, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), and the ranking member, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), for allowing me the time to speak on this bill.
  One provision that I am particularly pleased that the bill includes 
language that would rename the West Side division of VA Chicago after 
the Honorable Jesse Brown. The late Honorable Jesse Brown served as 
Secretary for Veterans Affairs and was a strong advocate in our 
budgetary battles at that time in the Clinton Administration. As 
Secretary, Jesse made good on his promise of putting veterans first. 
Sadly, he left us much too soon after a struggle with Lou Gehrig's 
disease. It is fitting that we rename the West Side division of VA 
Chicago in his name.
  This bill would also give Congress and the VA an opportunity to 
reinvigorate VA's flagging major medical construction programs. VA is 
at a critical juncture, where it must make billions of dollars worth of 
improvements to ensure its ability to provide modern, high-quality and 
efficient health care services.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I thank the chairman of the full 
committee for getting it through, and, again, for the way we work 
together.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my good 
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), and 
thank him for his work on behalf of the $6.5 million lease for the 
outpatient clinic in his area.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the 
committee for yielding me time.
  No doubt all of us in this Chamber realize and recognize the fact 
that our veterans risk their lives for our great Nation, and especially 
for the freedoms we all enjoy. We owe them much. Today, we take yet 
another step toward providing them with the health care services they 
deserve.
  For example, H.R. 1720 authorizes funding for a Veterans 
Administration medical clinic in Clark County, Nevada, allowing the VA 
to lease space and provide desperately needed health care services to 
one of the fastest growing veterans populations in the country.
  While this authorization best serves the short-term needs of Nevada's 
veterans, the long-term needs recognized by myself and Veterans 
Administration Secretary, Anthony Principi, call for the construction 
of a permanent, full-service veterans hospital in southern Nevada. 
Until this long-term goal is realized, the establishment of a medical 
clinic in Clark County will provide critical health care services to 
those veterans in southern Nevada.
  I applaud my colleagues for bringing this bill to the floor, and 
remain committed to providing our veterans with the best health care 
services we can afford.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner).
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, sometimes not so 
gentle, for yielding me time.
  In fact, I thank the not-so-gentle woman for fighting for these 
facilities in her district. She has fought long and hard, and this is 
just one of the fruits. She has done a tremendous job.
  I want to thank the chairman of the full committee and chairman of 
the Subcommittee on Health, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) 
and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) for creating the 
environment on our committee that we could talk about these issues and 
work towards solving them without partisan rancor. I sincerely 
appreciate the efforts by the majority side on these bills.
  I too rise in support of H.R. 1720, the Veterans Health Care 
Facilities Capital Improvement Act. I think it goes without saying that 
if the VA is to provide excellent health care, it must have excellent 
health facilities. We simply cannot allow our veterans and our VA 
employees to work and be treated in buildings that are unsafe.
  Another such building on the list that you have heard is the Medical 
Center Building Number 1 in the VA health care system in San Diego, the 
medical facility used by veterans in all of San Diego and in my 
congressional district.
  This building is in desperate need of seismic corrections, including 
new exterior bracing enhancements to the existing seismic structures, 
with an estimated cost of almost $50 million. Not an insignificant 
sum--but the cost of not doing this project would be much higher in 
real human lives. The VA has identified more than 60 projects that 
require seismic fortification.

                              {time}  1300

  We cannot continue to turn our heads away while VA patients and 
employees are in harm's way.
  So I compliment all of those who have worked on this, and I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 1720.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my good 
friend and colleague, the gentleman

[[Page 26276]]

from Florida (Mr. Miller), and thank him because he was very 
instrumental in helping us work on the language that provides $45 
million for an outpatient clinic in Pensacola. I want to thank him for 
that outstanding work he did.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding 
me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in full support of H.R. 1720, as 
amended, and thank our full committee chairman, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and our Subcommittee on Health chairman, the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), whom we have already heard 
from today, for their leadership and their efforts to bring this bill 
to authorize major medical construction to final passage today. This is 
a good bill, Mr. Speaker, truly a bipartisan compromise, as we have 
already heard, and one that deserves the full support of each and every 
Member on the House floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I represent the first district of Florida, an area of 
record growth and a high concentration of active duty servicemembers, 
military retired families, and veterans. This bill, as amended, 
provides a critical and important first step to providing veterans and 
the military communities that I serve in northwest Florida with state-
of-the-art health care in a new, combined Navy-VA clinic in Pensacola.
  In VA's budget submission for the fiscal year 2004, the Pensacola 
facility is described as ``obsolete'' and ``less than half the required 
space for the current and future workload.'' This description does not 
paint the true picture of a crowded and totally inadequate facility. 
The time to move forward on a new, combined facility is now. Our bill 
sets the stage for that progress on behalf of veterans in my district.
  I wish to acknowledge the effort of Julie Catellier, the director of 
the VA Biloxi and Pensacola facilities, and Captain Richard Buck of the 
Pensacola Naval Hospital for their creative and tenacious work and 
cooperation to provide a state-of-the-art VA facility and improve the 
quality of care for our veterans and military families.
  A year ago, the director of the VA Gulf Coast Health Care System and 
the commanding officer of the naval hospital in Pensacola coauthored an 
innovative DOD-VA joint business plan. The essential groundwork has 
been laid; and H.R. 1720, as amended, would authorize a $45 million 
health care facility as a joint venture between DOD and VA.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge strongly that my colleagues support this 
important legislation for not only the veterans in my district, but for 
others across the Nation.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman 
from Nevada for yielding me this time.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1720, the Veterans Health Care Improvement 
Act. Incorporated in this legislation is a bill to rename the health 
care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs located at 820 
South Damen Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``Jesse Brown 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.''
  I am pleased to have introduced this legislation with the ranking 
member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Evans.) This legislation is supported by the veterans 
community and all of my colleagues in the Illinois delegation.
  The late Honorable Jesse Brown was sworn in by President Clinton as 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on January 22, 1993. Secretary Brown 
directed the Federal Government's second largest Department, 
responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits, 
programs, and national cemeteries for America's more than 26 million 
veterans. Under Secretary Brown's leadership, the VA expanded benefits 
for veterans who were prisoners of war or were exposed to agent orange, 
radiation, or mustard gas. He successfully worked for the enactment of 
laws authorizing the VA to pay compensation for those with undiagnosed 
illnesses from the Persian Gulf War. His vision and commitment led to 
improved technology and redesigned work processes in an effort to 
reduce the backlog of veterans benefit claims. His leadership led to 
the first national summit meeting on homeless veterans. Out of the 
summit, the VA began to award grants to groups that aid the homeless 
and added homeless programs to medical centers.
  Secretary Brown understood the plight of veterans as well as anyone 
because he was a veteran. He was a Marine who was wounded in combat in 
1965 while patrolling in Vietnam. He was a true patriot, giving his 
best on behalf of his country. His work as executive director of the 
Disabled American Veterans prepared him for the challenges that he 
would confront at the VA. And let me add that his education at Chicago 
City College, Roosevelt University in Chicago, and Catholic University 
in Washington, D.C. helped to prepare him for his later success in 
life.
  Perhaps Secretary Brown's greatest accomplishments would be that he 
was a family man, a man of integrity, and a father. The honor that we 
bestow on him by renaming the VA facility after him is symbolic in 
nature, but substantive in reality for the lives of the people he 
touched. He gave the best of himself in service to others. Now we say 
thank you.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the members of the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs for moving this legislation. I personally happen to 
know several members of Secretary Brown's family, a professor from 
Roosevelt University, his mother, his sister and brother-in-law, the 
recently retired superintendent of police in Chicago, Terry Hilliard; 
and I know that they are all proud of his accomplishments and 
appreciate this recognition and would want to extend their thanks to 
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) and thank him for his 
work on the medical center, a $90 million authorization that he worked 
so hard to procure.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the distinguished 
chairman and the distinguished subcommittee chairman and ranking member 
for inclusion of this provision in the bill. This was a bill initially 
sponsored by me and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), and we have 
included his facility. I also should note that it was sponsored by the 
other two members of the Ohio delegation from Columbus, Ohio, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. 
Pryce).
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1720, which authorizes 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility 
construction projects. I rise not only as a veteran, but as a member of 
the Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies of the Committee 
on Appropriations that helps determine the funding priorities of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
  However, no matter which hat I am wearing, I can see clearly that 
something needs to be done for the ever-increasing veteran population 
in central Ohio. One provision contained in this very important act 
will help central Ohio take a huge step toward alleviating serious 
problems by authorizing construction of a new VA medical facility in 
Columbus, Ohio. Actually, it is in White Hall, Ohio, which is in my 
district.
  The current Chalmers P. Wylie VA Outpatient Clinic in White Hall, or 
actually it is in Columbus; the new one will be in White Hall, has a 
high-quality professional medical staff, but the facility is woefully 
inadequate for the needs of the area's veterans. Originally, this 
clinic was to handle 135,000 annual visits; but last year, it saw more 
than 192,000, fully 42 percent more than intended in the original 
design, and we do not own the ground, and the lease is up in 10 years.
  Over the years, far too many veterans have had to travel up to 3 
hours to receive treatment at larger VA medical centers in either 
Cleveland, Cincinnati, or elsewhere because of the limited medical 
services offered by the

[[Page 26277]]

current clinic. The cost to transfer these veterans has reached several 
million dollars per year.
  This bill includes the authority to build a new 260,000 square foot 
facility on the Defense Supply Center on the White Hall, Ohio, campus, 
which will house a wide variety of new and expanded services that are 
not currently offered at the Chalmers P. Wylie facility.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, it is vitally important that we move 
forward with this legislation and subsequently on the new facility in 
White Hall. I am grateful to the members of the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs and this subcommittee, once again, for their expeditious 
movement of this bill. I urge everyone to support this bill.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Ortiz).
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking members of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the subcommittee, the ranking member 
and the chairman, and especially the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Evans), and my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez). I 
also want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Hobson), who has been a champion for our veterans and their interests, 
both in Ohio and south Texas and the rest of the Nation.
  Finding a way to get inpatient health care services for our veterans 
in south Texas has been a long journey, and it is a labor of love for 
all involved. We first began this journey 21 years ago.
  We know the debt we owe our veterans today. The soldiers we send 
forth in today's war on terrorism are tomorrow's veterans. As liberty 
must be defended, the population of veterans in the United States and 
south Texas will continue to grow.
  I have worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs for a long time 
to bring improved services to the long-ignored population of veterans 
living in the tip of Texas. The VA has responded with their approach 
through the CARES program. It is long overdue for the VA to look 
seriously at the long-term needs and service delivery for the 
population they serve. Can my colleagues imagine, those who served the 
military from the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam 
War, they have to travel all the way to San Antonio, a journey of about 
anywhere from 2\1/2\ to 7 hours. Some of them are bedridden. There is 
no ambulance service. We are working on that. But thanks to the support 
that the VA has given me and the other Members who have needs in their 
districts, we really thank them for all the help that they have given 
us.
  There are presently no inpatient services in this market, other than 
a limited contract in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and limited access 
to specialty care patients. Patients must now travel a long, long 
journey. Opportunities exist to reduce this gap by working with DOD in 
Corpus Christi, as well as the University of Texas Regional Health Care 
Academic Center in Harlingen. Two submarkets were identified: Coastal 
Bend, Corpus Christi and surrounding area, and Rio Grande Valley, 
including Brownsville, Harlingen and surrounding areas, because 
transportation between these areas is difficult, involving secondary 
roads which take considerable travel time. It was an area that we had 
no interstate highways, no freeways until the last 10, 12 years. So to 
travel to get to the facility was long and hard.
  So I want to thank again the subcommittee and the full committee for 
addressing this need and for working with us. Again, I thank my good 
friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), so much for the help he 
gave me on this bill.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), who is the author 
of H.R. 116, which is included as section 4 of this bill, which 
authorizes a $300 million Fitzsimons Hospital System, along with the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez), who is the chief cosponsor.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding me this 
time.
  I rise today in complete support of H.R. 1720, the Veterans Health 
Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act, which is a 2-year 
authorization bill that will authorize the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to carry out major medical facility construction projects to 
improve, renovate, replace, and update our established patient care 
facilities within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  Certainly it is not before it is needed. If my colleagues have 
visited many of these facilities, as our chairman has, they would know 
how badly this updating and renovation is needed. I want to thank the 
chairman particularly. No one could have been more gracious and helpful 
than he has been to me in my particular part of this bill, and I 
appreciate that so much. The gentleman is so dedicated to better health 
care for veterans. The gentleman is the expert in the House of 
Representatives, and I look to him for guidance on these subjects. He 
has been just great with this. As a matter of fact, I appreciate the 
gentleman's whole committee, both Democrats and Republicans. They are 
trying to get a job done for the veterans, and they are doing an 
excellent job of it.
  Again, I appreciate the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez), who 
is on the committee and is one of my dear friends and colleagues from 
the State of Colorado and who has been absolutely dedicated to this 
project as well.
  As the gentleman indicated, in addition to authorizing $168 million 
for fiscal year 2004 and $600 million for fiscal year 2005 for 
construction of undesignated major projects, H.R. 1720 also authorizes 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a major medical facility 
project at the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center site in Aurora, 
Colorado. H.R. 1720 would authorize this project to be carried out, 
using a total of approximately $300 million.
  The Veterans Medical Center in Denver and the University of Colorado 
hospitals have been in a partnership, a next-door partnership since the 
Second World War. They have shared expensive and specialized medical 
equipment and facilities, such as surgical suites and imaging equipment 
and expensive specialty diagnostics and medical treatments; but due to 
the lack of space and the landlockness of the hospitals there, when the 
University of Colorado needed to modernize and build on a new site, 
they went out to the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and began building 
in 1995.

                              {time}  1315

  And the university's move will create a state-of-the-art medical 
campus which, in turn, will develop many of the very best services of 
in the United States. The Anschutz Cancer Pavilion, which is already 
open, is among the best institutions in the Nation for all types of 
cancer treatment and research.
  The University of Colorado Health Science Center is well known 
throughout the country for its organ transplant programs, for instance. 
Unfortunately, the University's move created an 8-mile separation 
between the University of Colorado and the old veterans hospital that 
had been so close before.
  This 8-mile separation creates a very real and significant barrier to 
quality care for veterans who have been working in cooperation all 
these years, the two hospitals.
  A study commissioned by the Veterans Integrated Service Network 
indicated that high demand for medical services by veterans at the 
Denver Veterans Medical Center will continue unabated for at least the 
next 20 years. The cost of maintaining the current Denver Veterans 
Medical Center, to satisfy minimal accreditation levels until 2020, has 
been estimated to be $233 million, and estimates to rebuild the 
facility in 2020 are $377 million in today's dollars.
  So if we put this $233 million into it, at the end of this period, 
this 20-year period, we still have an old facility, and we have put 
almost as much into it as it would take to build a new facility.
  Planning studies have shown that a move of the Denver Veterans 
Medical

[[Page 26278]]

Center to the Fitzsimons campus is the most cost-effective of the 
reasonably accepted alternatives.
  The Denver Veterans Medical Center relocation to the Fitzsimons 
campus will solve aging facilities issues, cap new facilities cost, 
enhance quality of medical care, increase flexibility and reduce 
operational costs. Veterans who have highly specialized medical needs 
must have easy access to the best diagnostic and treatment programs 
that America provides.
  In a medical school environment, doctors tend to be better informed 
of the latest treatment procedures and protocols. They are closer to 
the cutting edge of modern medicine. Quality of medical care for 
veterans is enhanced in a medical school teaching hospital. University 
physicians and special residency programs provide a significant amount 
of care in the Denver veterans medical center. To date, some 90 percent 
of the physicians that work at the VA Medical Center also work at the 
University of Colorado Health Science Center. And most VA doctors have 
faculty appointments in the medical school.
  Colocating the University of Colorado hospital in the Denver Veterans 
Medical Center will allow university doctors to continue their close 
relationship in treating veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just summarize real quickly. This is an 
opportunity that you do not get very often, to have a medical campus 
which is, in essence, right in the middle of a metropolitan area like 
Denver, Colorado. If it was not for the closing of Fitzsimons Hospital, 
which we all hated at the time, this would never have come about. But 
right here, in the middle of this metropolitan area, you will have the 
one of the finest, state-of-the-art, cutting edge health medical 
facilities in the whole United States. It is going to mean cutting 
edge, quality care for veterans. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith) can take a lot of credit when this comes about.

  The new VA Medical Center at Fitzsimons site will be veteran-friendly 
and will provide a practicable alternative to the Denver Veterans 
Medical Center remaining at its current, out-dated facility.
  The new Veterans Medical Center at Fitzsimons will be a free-standing 
ambulatory and impatient care federal tower building for veterans, 
clearly identified as the Veterans Administration Medical Center.
  New veterans research facilities will be constructed and there will 
be a new veterans long-term care unit located next to the new 180-bed 
State veterans nursing home currently being constructed at the site.
  Given the rising demand for veterans health care, and the significant 
challenges of an aging and increasingly less-efficient Denver Veterans 
Medical Center facility, my interest and my efforts are aimed at 
continuing the collaboration between the Denver Veterans Medical 
Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and University of 
Colorado Hospital.
  I believe that the opportunity to co-locate the Denver Veterans 
Medical Center with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center 
and the University of Colorado Hospital at the Fitzsimons campus will 
meet the demand for veteran care in this area through 2020 and beyond; 
provide significant savings in both capital and operational costs for 
the Department of Veterans Affairs and the taxpayer; continue to meet 
the Denver Veterans Medical Center commitment to education and 
research; and potentially create a national model for the future of 
veterans' care dealing with both a new concept for facilities and 
collaboration with long-established partners. More importantly, this 
move will retain veteran ``identity'' while also providing optimum 
patient care.
  To date, over 45 local, state and national Veterans' Service 
Organizations and the American Federation of Government Employees, 
Local 2241, have expressed their support for this proposal.
  I believe that co-locating the Denver Vetrans' Medical Cebter with 
the University of Colorado Hospital will achieve the goals of providing 
the up-most modern, comprehensive and cost-efficient medical care that 
we as a nation owe our veterans.
  Congress has a duty to provide the best medical care it can to our 
nation's veterans and we must always strive for the very best health 
care services it can by utilizing the most cost-effective measures 
available.
  The fact is, aging facilities, lack of funds, and the growing demands 
on the veterans health system are proving to be daunting obstacles in 
meeting Congress' responsibilities to our nation's veterans.
  However, the possibility for the Denver Veterans Medical Center to 
move to Fitzsimons and co-locate with University of Colorado Health 
Sciences Center and University of Colorado Hospital is a unique 
opportunity to provide solid and constructive solutions to these 
challenges.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) again, Mr. Speaker, for the outstanding work 
that he has done. He has been indefatigable in promoting this project 
along with the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez). And we are very, 
very grateful on the committee to have that kind of advocacy coming our 
way on behalf of the veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I would inquire as to our remaining time and ask if the 
gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) might yield some of her time. We 
have an additional speaker, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). The gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Smith) has 30 seconds. The gentlewoman (Ms. Berkley) from Nevada 
has 5 minutes.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would be delighted to yield to the gentleman the 
balance of our time so that all of his members can speak on behalf of 
this legislation. If I could take 30 seconds to sum up.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) in his 
remarks referred to me as the not-so-gentlelady from Nevada. I take 
great pride in that characterization. I do not think any of us should 
be gentle when it comes to issues that affect the health care of our 
veterans.
  We owe these veterans, men and women, a tremendous debt of gratitude. 
We are going to have far more veterans once our war against terrorism 
is over. I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for being 
steadfast on this piece of legislation. We should not rest. And none of 
us should be able to go back to our districts and look our veterans in 
the face if we do not deliver for them now.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Nevada (Ms. Berkley) for her gracious yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Beauprez). He has been a very strong supporter of this legislation in 
general, but particularly for Fitzsimons.
  Mr. BEAUPREZ. Mr. Speaker, I also am proud to speak today in strong 
support of H.R. 1720, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital 
Improvement Act. Many facilities in the VA health care system are run-
down, decrepit buildings that are not conducive to providing quality 
health care to our veterans.
  The Denver Veterans Medical Center in Colorado was constructed 
approximately 50 years ago to provide fairly low-volume inpatient care 
to our veteran population. In Colorado today, as my distinguished 
colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) just outlined, we 
have an opportunity to provide health care in a much more efficient 
manner.
  The Denver Veterans Medical Center is in decaying state. It is faced 
with two main alternatives with regard to this facility. The first 
alternative is to invest in renovation of this facility and make it 
capable of handling the medical needs of our current veteran population 
and the changing needs of that population over the next 20 or so years. 
After such a renovation, not only would the VA still be left with a 50-
year-old building, but as the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) 
pointed out, it would also be an orphaned medical center.
  The second alternative is to relocate the building to the new 
Fitzsimons campus. Such a relocation would allow for a modern facility 
to deliver modern health care on a state-of-the-art medical campus, one 
that we think will be a standard for the whole Nation.
  The VA would be able to take advantage of the University of Colorado 
partnership which will provide numerous

[[Page 26279]]

operational efficiencies, as well as access to an extensive staff of 
doctors, technicians, and specialists.
  This legislation would also authorize this critical relocation. The 
cost to restore the Denver facility far outweighs the cost of 
constructing a new hospital. It is estimated that the savings in 
operational efficiencies at Fitzsimons itself will pay for construction 
of the new hospital. Regardless of where our veterans happen to live, 
they deserve the best care possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith), the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the gentleman 
from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), my colleague, for bringing this important 
legislation to the floor.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, we believe that the Fitzsimons Veterans Hospital 
will become a standard for delivering better health care to our 
veterans for years and years to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak today in support of H.R. 1720, the 
Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act. During my time 
serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee I have learned first hand the 
difficulties and challenges the VA faces in order to provide healthcare 
to our nations veterans. It is my belief H.R. 1720 is one of many steps 
we in Congress can take to address the challenges of the VA by 
authorizing major medical construction for certain VA facilities.
  Many facilities in the VA healthcare system are run-down, decrepit 
buildings that are not conducive to providing quality healthcare to our 
veterans. It is inconceivable to think the VA system should be expected 
to handle an increased amount of patients without the proper medical 
facilities in which to do so. We must remember that before we place 
increased demands on the VA we must provide the system with the tools 
to succeed in their mission of quality, timely healthcare.
  As military operations continue to be carried out by the United 
States overseas, we will be creating a new generation of veterans in 
need of medical services from the VA. As medical costs continue to rise 
in the United States, many people, unable to afford private medical 
care will enroll for medical care with the VA. Also, as described by 
Deputy Secretary Leo Mackay, ``the VA's record of achievement in 
medical care has been so dramatic that we are now confronted with 
unprecedented demand for our services.'' The population dynamics that 
have been taking place in terms of VA enrollment are staggering. We 
have record levels of enrollment for VA Health Care today. In many 
parts of the country, those numbers will be leveling off, and slowly 
decreasing in the years to come. In my home state of Colorado, the 
enrollment numbers will only continue to rise.
  The history of the VA is a unique one, especially when it comes to 
the medical care of our Nation's veterans. The Denver Veterans Medical 
Center in Colorado was constructed primarily to provide low-volume 
inpatient care to our veteran population. Over time, the VA has worked 
to adapt this center to the ways of modern medicine, and to provide 
primarily high-volume outpatient care to our veterans. Unfortunately, 
the costs associated with the necessary renovations are extremely high, 
and this building is finding little potential for further renovation to 
address current medical needs with modern medical equipment.
  The issues faced by this center are not unique, and are exactly the 
types of issues that prompted the CARES process to be initiated. In 
1999, the General Accounting Office reported that the ``VA could 
enhance veterans' health care benefits if it reduced the level of 
resources spent on underused or inefficient buildings, and used these 
resources instead. To provide health care more efficiently.'' In 
Colorado today, we have just such an opportunity to provide health care 
in a much more efficient manner.
  Since the construction of this medical center fifty years ago, the VA 
has established a partnership with the University of Colorado-Health 
Science Center to enhance the quality of care provided here. I am told 
that approximately 90 percent of the doctors providing care here are 
University doctors. Most research initiatives carried out in this 
hospital are carried out with the help of University researchers. 
Cutting edge medical procedures are carried out at this hospital 
through collaboration between the VA, and the University of Colorado. 
After the University's decision to relocate to Fitzsimons was made a 
few years ago, the 50-year partnership between CU and the VA has begun 
to erode. The VA is losing access to the fine medical staff from CU 
that they have relied upon for such a long time.
  The University saw the potential to create numerous operational 
efficiencies in their move to Fitzsimons, and they acted on it. Today, 
the VA has the potential to benefit from many of these same 
efficiencies by moving to Fitzsimons, and create other ones through an 
extended collaboration with the University and the Department of 
Defense. Congress, through H.R. 1720, should authorize the VA to act on 
this opportunity in much the same way the University did. This House 
has already begun the process of action by approving four million 
dollars in the DoD appropriation, and an additional nine million 
dollars in the VA/HUD appropriation this year.
  The Denver Veterans Medical Center is faced with two main 
alternatives with regard to their facility. The first alternative is to 
invest in the renovation of this facility to make it capable of 
handling the medical needs of our current veteran population, and the 
changing needs of that population over the next 20 years. After such a 
renovation, not only would the VA still be left with a 50-year old 
building, but it would also be an orphaned medical center. The second 
alternative is to relocate to the new Fitzsimons campus. Such 
relocation would allow for a modern facility to deliver modern health 
care in a preferred location. The VA would once again be able to take 
advantage of the University partnership, which will provide numerous 
operational efficiencies as well as access to an extensive staff of 
doctors, technicians, and specialists.
  It is my belief that the savings in operational efficiencies of 
Fitzsimons in itself will pay for the construction of the new hospital. 
Of greater importance, the quality of care that could be provided to 
our veterans will be much higher at Fitzsimons.
  Construction of a new hospital at Fitzsimons also allows for the 
ability to build a much needed Spinal Cord Injury center. Such a center 
is highly desired not only by the veterans in our district, but it 
would also be well suited for ideal research opportunities with the 
university. Currently, the closest Spinal Cord Injury center to our 
region is a great distance away in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  One final reason construction of a new VA hospital at Fitzsimons is a 
better option, lies in the hospital's potential for cutting-edge 
enhancements in veteran health care through collaborative research with 
the university.
  As you know, the Department of Defense has recently expressed an 
interest in joining in the collaborative arrangement already espoused 
by the University and the VA. The benefits of this arrangement for our 
active duty and their families currently stationed at Buckley Air Force 
Base would be profound. Aside from having access to a full spectrum of 
medical services not available on base, these soldiers and their family 
will not have to worry about the potential loss in medical care caused 
by deployments of those who serve in the medical corps. The benefits to 
the base doctors will also increase significantly, allowing them to 
experience medical situations not typically found in a military 
community, while also having quick access to some of the greatest 
medical resources, references, and research in the country.
  Regardless of where our veterans happen to live, they deserve the 
best care possible. As the House votes on this measure today, I ask 
that we all keep in mind the long-term planning mission of the VA: ``to 
improve access to, and the quality and cost effectiveness of, veterans 
health care.'' This message cannot be forgotten when addressing the 
needs of our veterans living in rural and outlying network areas.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez), a 
good friend, for his statement and for his fine work.
  Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleagues we are at a crossroads. We have 
not done our due diligence in ensuring that sufficient funds were 
available to renovate, to update, to modernize our aging infrastructure 
of VA health care and other facilities within the VA, that is to say, 
those dealing with research and development.
  There was a consultants' report as far as back as June of 1998 that 
suggested we spend 2 to 4 percent on plant replacement value to upkeep 
these vital facilities. We have not done that. We need to now do some 
hurry-up-and-catch-up baseball here. This legislation is certainly a 
step in the right direction. I hope it has the full support of our 
colleagues.
  Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 
1720, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act. I am 
pleased that the House of Representatives acted today to approve this 
important bill.

[[Page 26280]]

  H.R. 1720 includes language originally included in legislation 
introduced by my colleague, Congressman David Hobson, that authorizes 
the construction of an expanded VA medical facility on the campus of 
the Defense Supply Center in Columbus, OH.
  I have been deeply and personally committed to improving health care 
for veterans for nearly 20 years, going back to my days as a 
congressional staffer handling veteran's casework. I know first hand 
the difficulties our veterans have had receiving the level of care they 
earned through their service to our country.
  Columbus is the 15th largest city in America. Central Ohio, a 
metropolitan area of 1.2 million people, has over 135,000 veterans who 
reside here. Yet we have never had a VA hospital, and our clinic has 
always been too small to provide the services needed for our veterans. 
As one of the fastest growing areas in the country, we continue to see 
the number of veterans in central Ohio increase each year.
  On the day it opened in 1995, our existing clinic was already too 
small to meet all the health care needs of our veterans. It was 
designed to handle 135,000 annual visits. Last year there were 192,000 
visits, and this year the clinic is handling 823 visits per day, which 
will total approximately 205,000 visits in 2003. Furthermore, the 
current veterans population projection data does not account for 
veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle or Iraqi Freedom. 
In Ohio alone we have mobilized over 6,000 National Guard and Reserve 
Forces who are now eligible for health care, as well as the hundreds of 
thousands of Active Duty soldiers of those operations who will be 
returning home in the near future. These new veterans will dramatically 
swell the rolls at our local facilities.
  While our local VA officials do the best they can with the resources 
they have been given, the existing facility is simply too small to meet 
our current needs, much less the growing needs of the future.
  A continued piecemeal approach to veterans' needs both wastes 
taxpayer dollars, and provides substandard care to the central Ohio men 
and women who have given so much to our country. The VA spends nearly 
$3 million a year shipping our veterans around the State, admitting 
emergency cases to a local hospital, and paying for outpatient 
specialty care because they lack adequate facilities. Additionally, the 
current facility is leased, and the lease will expire in just over 10 
years. I believe it is not a good use of taxpayer money to invest 
dollars in a facility the VA will not control over the long term.
  I want to tell you about a veteran I know who lives in Pataskala, OH. 
Mr. Stanley Folk is 78 years old, and is a 60 percent service connected 
World War II veteran who is forced to travel to the Cincinnati VA 
hospital twice a month. He gets up at 4:30 a.m. to catch a shuttle down 
to Cincinnati to get the treatment he needs. He is forced to stay there 
all day until the shuttle returns him to Columbus. He does not get home 
until well after 7 p.m. The strain of this trip makes him so tired and 
ill that he is in bed for several days after to recover. This would be 
a hardship on anyone, but is doubly so for the elderly and disabled. It 
is unconscionable that veterans must go through this to get the care 
they deserve. The sad part is Mr. Folk is not alone. I could go on and 
on with stories of veterans who have faced similar hardship.
  Furthermore, there are many veterans who will not seek emergency care 
at night and on weekends, because the VAOPC is closed, and they are 
afraid to go to private hospitals with no prior guarantee the VA will 
pay the private hospital expense. These veterans have no health 
insurance and they are afraid they will be stuck with a large bill they 
cannot pay, so they delay treatment at risk to their health.
  I believe the facts clearly show that these facilities and services 
are desperately needed to meet the health care needs of veterans in 
central Ohio. I would like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member 
Evans, as well as Subcommittee Chairman Simmons and Ranking Member 
Rodriguez for their hard work on this legislation. My colleagues in the 
central Ohio delegation, Congressman David Hobson and Congresswoman 
Deborah Pryce, as well as Ohio Senators Mike DeWine and George 
Voinovich, also deserve a great deal of credit for their hard work on 
this issue and steadfast support for the interests of central Ohio's 
veterans.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Chairman Simmons has done a 
fine job of explaining the bill under consideration. I would like to 
thank him, Full Committee Chairman Smith, and my colleagues on the 
Veterans Affairs Committee for their excellent bipartisan work on this 
legislation.
  We all understand the significant needs of our VA medical facilities 
across this great Nation. Many Members of this Congress have a VA 
building in their district that is old and in need of renovation, 
maintenance, and repair. The practice of medicine requires constant 
modernization of equipment and facilities, and we need to do our best 
to ensure that our veterans continue to receive the quality of care 
that they deserve. Although there are never enough resources for our 
veterans and their medical centers, this bill will authorize much 
needed help for those areas most in need.
  In addition to the projects authorized in this bill, I think we can 
all agree that more needs to be done to encourage VA to coordinate with 
the Defense Department, the academic community, and maybe even the 
private sector when medical facilities are constructed or renovated. 
During the consideration of this bill in full committee, I offered an 
amendment that was adopted without objection. It would require the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study to examine the 
feasibility of coordination by the Department of Veterans Affairs with 
the Department of Defense's Naval Hospital Charleston and the pending 
construction of a new university medical center at the Medical 
University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
  Our VA Hospital, located in downtown Charleston, was built in 1966. 
It was a good facility for its time, and the staff there does a great 
job, but it definitely needs a major facelift. The building is located 
right next to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), a modern 
and growing facility that is in the process of a large expansion 
project. MUSC and the VA work well together in many areas, especially 
in providing outstanding patient care.
  On the old Naval Base, which was closed as a result of the last BRAC, 
the Naval Hospital Charleston remains a few miles away. The Navy has 
considerably downsized this facility, which mainly serves military 
retirees now. It is my understanding that the building may shut down in 
the future and move to a new, consolidated clinic location at the Naval 
Weapons Station Charleston. The proposed site would be a single 
156,000-square-foot facility valued at greater than $30 million, but 
there are no plans that I am aware of to coordinate with the VA. It is 
clear that there is a tremendous opportunity for the VA, DOD and MUSC 
to work together for the good of our veterans and American taxpayers. I 
am certain that there are other similar examples throughout the United 
States.
  I feel very strongly that this is the right thing to do for our 
active military personnel, retirees, and veterans. Earlier this year, 
we held a hearing on the Presidential Task Force Report, which focused 
heavily on VA-DOD resource sharing efforts. Both Undersecretaries McKay 
and Chu acknowledged that more could be done in this area, and 
Charleston was cited as one of many examples. The VA cannot afford to 
always go it alone in the future when planning and constructing new 
medical facilities.
  For the sake of our veterans and the men and women who serve them in 
VA medical facilities, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Veterans 
Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2003. Every American 
knows that the face of health care has changed dramatically over the 
past decades. This is no less true for military and veterans' health 
care. This legislation is vital because it will improve, renovate, and 
update patient care facilities at Department of Veterans Affairs 
medical centers. More important, this legislation demonstrates the 
continued support of Congress for our nation's veterans by providing 
the best health service facilities possible.
  My district is home to the North Chicago VA Medical Center. On June 
19, 2001, the VA released its Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced 
Services (CARES) study. The CARES study developed four options to 
improve veterans' heath care in the Chicago area, each of which 
recommended the preservation of services offered at North Chicago. The 
CARES study also recommended increasing the level the cooperation 
between North Chicago VA and the Navy's Great Lakes Naval Hospital.
  H.R. 1720 will assist the VA in cases where the department enters 
into resource sharing agreements with the DoD. H.R. 1720 is critical to 
this mission because the legislation includes a modest adjustment of 
the definition of what constitutes a ``major'' construction project. 
This legislation will raise the threshold for ``major'' construction 
projects to $6 million, and thus allow cooperative sharing agreements 
between the VA and DoD continue moving forward with minor projects 
without being subjected to burdensome bureaucratic time tables. 
Avoiding delays and moving forward with capital improvements to VA 
health care facilities will save valuable resources and time, which 
will continue the quality of services

[[Page 26281]]

offered our Nation's active and veteran population.
  In the case of the North Chicago VA Medical Center and Great Lakes 
Naval Hospital, integration of the two medical facilities is practical 
and urgent. These facilities both sit underutilized and less than a 
mile away from each other. Combining these two facilities, state of the 
art, Federal health care center will maximize the use of tax dollars, 
enhance the training opportunities for young naval medical corps 
personnel, and, most important, bring the health care we promised our 
service men and veteran population into the 21st century. Changing the 
definition of ``major'' construction may allow the VA to move forward 
with plans to redesign and construct operating rooms and the emergency 
room at North Chicago.
  I would like to thank the chief sponsor of this bill Representative 
Rob Simmons, and Chairman Chris Smith of the VA Committee for their 
work and dedication to America's veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1720 will allow the VA to continue moving forward 
by providing our Nation's veterans, and in some cases our active duty 
personnel, with new improved health care facilities. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mrs. SUSAN DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H.R. 1720, legislation to provide funding for a project 
crucial to the veterans' community in the San Diego region.
  The Veterans' Affairs Medical Center in La Jolla, California serves 
one of the largest veterans communities in the nation. Nearly 240,000 
retired military personnel in the San Diego area receive treatment from 
at the La Jolla hospital and nearby VA medical facilities.
  I can't stress enough how important it is to ensure these facilities 
can provide veterans with the treatment they need even at times of 
disaster.
  Just this week, the dedicated medical staff at area VA medical 
facilities worked hard to care for our veterans--despite the poor air 
quality and other dangers caused by the horrible wildfires burning in 
Southern California. It is crucial that they have the resources to 
continue their important work during such difficult times.
  H.R. 1720 will help the VA prepare in case another type of disaster 
strikes. This legislation provides 50 million dollars to make necessary 
seismic corrections to the La Jolla VA medical center.
  Mr. Speaker, this project will help ensure that both our veterans and 
the medical staff will be safe if a large earthquake strikes. And it 
will ensure that the hospital can continue treating our veterans in the 
aftermath.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation 
on behalf of our veterans' community and dedicated VA medical personnel 
in San Diego.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1720, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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