U.S.
Senator Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release September 26, 2006 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Untied States Senator Ken Salazar’s efforts have resulted in the authorization of $98 million for construction and planning for the Fitzsimons project. This evening, S.3421 passed the Senate by unanimous consent. That bill included the authorization amounts. Salazar worked with Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the VA to increase the Senate authorization level of $52 million to match the House’s authorization level of $98 million. Ensuring that the planning and construction of the replacement VA medical facility on the campus of the old Fitzsimons Army Base can move forward is one of Senator Salazar’s top priorities. The existing VA medical facility in Denver is aging, and the equipment, personnel, and patient load are outgrowing its current capacity at an alarming rate. Our veterans need a new, high-quality medical facility now. The authorization of $98 million for the Fitzsimons project is the latest in a series of encouraging steps toward realizing that goal. In a letter which will be delivered to the Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Salazar writes: “I cannot overstate how important this project is to the veterans of Colorado and the surrounding region. There are almost half a million veterans in my state, and for most of them, the Denver facility is the closest VA hospital. In addition, Denver is the metropolitan center for the Rocky Mountain region of the nation. Veterans residing in Colorado and the surrounding states deserve a state-of-the-art facility within a reasonable distance of their homes, and they deserve to know that the VA hospital in the closest major city is equipped to provide the highest-quality care available.” The authorization levels
contained in S. 3421 will allow for the VA to move forward with the
preliminary stages of hospital construction: land purchase at the site
as well as the preliminary design of the facility, including construction
drawings. The sooner these steps can be completed, the closer Colorado’s
veterans will be to accessing the quality of care they deserve. # # #
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