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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 56, 2007
CONTACT: Geoff Embler or Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Legislation Allowing Funding for Veterans Health Center Expansion in Valley Passes Senate
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-TX) legislation to allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into a $12 million lease to provide a major medical facility in Harlingen, as recommended by the August 2007 study requested by her, passed today as the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill passed the full Senate by a vote of 92-1. Sen. Hutchison’s legislation passed yesterday by voice vote as an amendment to the bill.
“This is the first step toward delivering on a major improvement in health care for Valley veterans,” Sen. Hutchison said. “Valley veterans have waited far too long for adequate health services, and this legislation clears the path to deliver a major expansion of services as quickly as possible. I’m going to continue to work to get every dollar needed to complete this project.”
This authorization is the first step to deliver on the VA’s commitment to rapidly expand services in the Valley as a result of the conclusions drawn from an independent study on the issue requested by Sen. Hutchison.
Valley veterans have been burdened with hours-long bus rides to receive treatment at the VA hospital in San Antonio. Expanded health care resources in the region will allow more convenient access to a wider range of medical services without arduous trips to another facility.
Senator Hutchison personally made a request to VA Secretary Jim Nicholson to have his department conduct the study to examine access to health care for veterans in the Rio Grande Valley in December 2005. The VA contracted with an independent consulting firm to conduct the study. Senator Hutchison wrote a letter to Secretary Nicholson on April 5, 2007, requesting a progress report on the study and inquired about it further at a hearing with the secretary on April 12.
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