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PENSACOLA VA-DOD CLINIC AUTHORIZATION
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| October 29th, 2003 |
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HONORABLE JEFF MILLER
Subcommittee on Health
Committee on Veterans Affairs
H.R. 1720, As Amended
Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act
October 29, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I 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 Health Subcommittee Chairman, the gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Simmons, for their leadership and their efforts to bring this bill, to authorize major medical construction, to final passage. This is a good bill, Mr. Speaker, truly a bipartisan compromise, and one that deserves the full support of every Member of this House.
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 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 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 doesn’t 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 efforts of Ms. Julie Catellier, the director of the VA Biloxi and Pensacola facilities, and Captain Richard Buck, of the Pensacola Navy Hospital, for their creative and tenacious work in 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 Veterans Health Care System and the Commanding Officer of Navy Hospital Pensacola co-authored an innovative Navy-VA joint business plan. The essential ground work has been laid, and H.R. 1720, as amended, would authorize a $45 million health care facility as a joint venture between the two Departments.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important legislation for the veterans of my District, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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There are no Floor Speechess to be displayed for this month.
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