[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 26414-26415]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER

  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 509) to authorize a major medical facility project at the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, 
and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 509

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

     SECTION 1. MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECT DEPARTMENT OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER, WALLA WALLA, 
                   WASHINGTON.

       (a) Authorization for Major Medical Facility Project.--The 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out a major medical 
     facility project for the construction of a new multiple 
     specialty outpatient facility, campus renovation and 
     upgrades, and additional parking at the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, 
     with the project to be carried out in an amount not to exceed 
     $71,400,000.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal year 2009 for the Construction, Major Projects 
     account, $71,400,000 for the project authorized in subsection 
     (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Driehaus). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) and the gentleman from Arkansas 
(Mr. Boozman) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.
  Mr. WALZ. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 509, a bill to authorize 
a new outpatient clinic at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA 
Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington.
  This bill would authorize appropriations of $71 million for the VA's 
construction and major projects account in fiscal year 2009. This 
funding would be used to design and construct a 65,000-square-foot 
outpatient clinic which will serve nearly 70,000 veterans in the Walla 
Walla area.
  It has been a long journey since July 2003 when the VA was trying to 
close the Walla Walla facility. There have been challenges along the 
way, especially with the CARES Commission's decision in February of 
2004, which formally recommended closing this facility.
  However, we managed to do right by our veterans in the Walla Walla 
area by removing this facility from the VA's facility closure list and 
by getting the VA to include the construction of an outpatient clinic 
at the Walla Walla VA Medical Center in the fiscal year 2009 major 
construction priority list.
  All of this would not have been possible without the leadership, hard 
work, and advocacy of Senator Murray.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to personally thank 
Senator Murray for introducing this bill and to thank Chairman Akaka of 
the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee for moving the bill forward. I 
know how incredibly important it is to our veterans, especially to 
those in more rural areas, to get the care they need, so I strongly 
support the passage of S. 509.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 509, a bill to authorize a major 
medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs' medical 
center in Walla Walla, Washington.
  S. 509 would facilitate the construction of a new outpatient clinic 
building, consolidating the administrative and support functions that 
are currently spread across Walla Walla's 88-acre campus. This new 
outpatient clinic building will allow for the integration of primary 
and specialty care as well as for mental health and ancillary services 
into a single state-of-the-art facility.
  S. 509 has the full support of the Washington delegation. It is 
important to note that funding for this bill has already been 
appropriated. The funding must now be authorized so that we can move 
forward with the proposed improvements to the Walla Walla facility.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support S. 509 and the improvements it will 
provide to veteran's medical care, and I encourage all of my colleagues 
to support the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. We have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he might consume to 
the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).
  Mr. WALDEN. I want to thank my colleague from Arkansas.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of S. 509, which would 
authorize the VA to construct this new, multiple specialty outpatient 
clinic building as the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical 
Center in Walla Walla, Washington.
  Now the Walla Walla VA Medical Center serves more than 65,000 
veterans in a 14-county area that spreads over northeastern Oregon, 
southeastern Washington and central western Idaho. It's an integral 
part of the VA's Northwest health care network and has long established 
itself as a very important resource for veterans and the veterans 
community.
  Now, the construction of this outpatient clinic, along with campus 
renovations, upgrades and additional parking, will help this facility 
better serve our men and women who have worn our uniform. This 
investment in the Walla Walla VA Medical Center will cement its place 
as a provider of health care to veterans in Oregon, Washington, and 
Idaho by providing them with a modern facility that will improve 
quality-of-care delivery and that will continue to allow them to 
provide the best care possible.
  Since 2003, when the VA's Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced 
Services, or CARES, Commission released its draft recommendation for 
the closure of this facility, veterans have rightfully raised concerns 
about the future of VA-delivered health care in this very rural region 
of our country. These veterans face the real possibility of having to 
drive hundreds of more miles to receive even the most routine care at 
the next closest VA facilities, which are located in Boise, Idaho; in 
Portland, Oregon; or in Spokane, Washington.

[[Page 26415]]

  Like others in 2003, I voiced my strong concerns regarding the 
proposed realignment through a letter to then-Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, Anthony Principi, and I submitted testimony to the CARES 
Commission. Through concerted efforts by area veterans, local advocates 
and elected officials, former-VA Secretary Jim Nicholson fully realized 
the importance of the care provided in this facility and reversed the 
commission's decision.
  Today, the Walla Walla VA Medical Center continues to make a name for 
itself through the quality of care that it provides to our veterans. I 
was there in December of 2008, and I had the opportunity to meet with 
the new director of the Walla Walla VA Medical Center, Mr. Brian 
Westfield, and to receive an update on the facility, which has recently 
expanded its reaches into my congressional district through the opening 
of a very important clinic, a community outpatient clinic in La Grande, 
Oregon.
  Last fall, the VA approved $71.4 million to design and construct this 
new, multiple specialty outpatient clinic in Walla Walla. The 
legislation we consider today would authorize that project. It is my 
hope that, with the completion of this clinic, the Walla Walla VA 
Medical Center will continue its tradition of providing quality care to 
the men and women who have given so much in service to our Nation.
  So I thank you again for the opportunity to speak in favor of Senate 
bill 509. I thank Senator Murray for bringing this forward, and I thank 
members of both the Oregon and Washington delegations and of the Idaho 
delegation for their support. I look forward to the passage of this 
legislation.
  Mr. WALZ. We have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. I just want to thank, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from 
Oregon for sharing with us and for showing us that this is not only 
bipartisan but that it is also a tri-State effort to get this done. So 
I think that further illustrates the importance.
  I would like to thank our committee chairman, Bob Filner, and Ranking 
Member Steve Buyer for moving the bill forward for consideration. I 
urge all of my colleagues to support S. 509.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on S. 509.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge my colleagues to unanimously 
support this.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) for so 
eloquently and clearly stating the need for this. Our rural veterans 
need this. This would have been a mistake to not extend this facility, 
and I appreciate your hard work to get this done.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize this 
critical bipartisan legislation which authorizes the construction of a 
new outpatient clinic at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Walla 
Walla, Washington.
  After listening to the concerns of the providers within the facility, 
local civic leaders, veterans and constituents, it is clear this 
facility is vital to making a number of services available to our 
veterans who are at risk of receiving a lower quality of health care if 
they are forced to seek services outside of the facility.
  Veterans seeking health care rely heavily on the Walla Walla facility 
because of the geographic and climactic challenges in the region. This 
facility provides care to 65,000 veterans over 14 different counties in 
Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Northeastern Oregon covering 
42,000 square miles. More than 11,000 veterans use this facility. We 
expect this number to increase as more service men and women return 
from deployments.
  The staff at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center 
work hard for the veterans our region. However, they are in desperate 
need of a new, modern facility that will facilitate the quality of care 
our deserving veterans require.
  In February 2008, I asked Secretary James Peake to allocate these 
funds before 2010, rather than the 2012 original plan. Last fall, the 
VA approved $71.4 million to design and construct a new multiple-
specialty outpatient facility at the Walla Walla VAMC. However, 
authorization was still needed for the project. This bill gives 
construction the necessary green light.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the 
veterans who are served by the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA 
Medical Center.
  Mr. MINNICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my strong support to 
Senate bill 509. This bipartisan legislation will authorize the 
construction of a new outpatient clinic at the VA Medical Center in 
Walla Walla, Washington. The Walla Walla VA hospital provides vital 
medical care to thousands of veterans from Idaho and a new state-of-
the-art facility will allow the hospital to provide expanded services 
to the members of our armed forces.
  As more of our troops continue to return home from their deployments 
in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is crucial that they receive the timely and 
effective care they deserve. And with Veterans Day just around the 
corner, this is an excellent opportunity to honor those who have 
sacrificed so much for our country. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
passing this important legislation.
  I thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for their strong 
leadership and continued commitment to improving the lives of veterans.
  Mr. WALZ. With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 509.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WALZ. 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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