UPDATE: Allard-Salazar Bill to Fully Authorize Fitzsimons Approved by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier today, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved a sweeping package of veterans’ health care legislation for 2007. Included in this bill was a provision backed by United States Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar to authorize the remaining needed funds for the construction of a state-of-the-art veterans care facility at the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora.

“Passage of this authorization is another important step in the completion of this important and necessary facility that will better serve Colorado’s veterans,” said Allard. “I look forward to breaking ground on this hospital in the near future.”

“Veterans in Colorado have more than earned access to the kind of cutting-edge health care that the Fitzsimons V.A. hospital will one day provide – they are owed it,” said Senator Salazar. “This is a major leap forward towards completing the Fitzsimons redevelopment and ensuring our veterans get the health care facility they deserve.”

Section 501 of the bill approved today authorizes the remaining $548 million necessary for the completion of the Fitzsimons VA Hospital. This provision comes directly from S. 472, which Senators Allard and Salazar introduced earlier this year, and builds upon the $98 million authorization Senator Salazar included last year in similar legislation, the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 (S.3421).

Once signed into law, the full authorization for Fitzsimons puts the project another step closer to completion. It will now require only funding appropriated by Congress (and approved by the President) for the Hospital to be completed.

Earlier this month, the Military Construction-VA Appropriations subcommittee included $61.3 million for Fitzsimons for the upcoming fiscal year (FY08).

Having been approved by the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the bill containing the Fitzsimons funding authorization now goes to the entire Senate for consideration.

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