Montrose, NY – U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-NY19) announced today that the Franklin D. Roosevelt Veterans Hospital in Montrose, New York will receive $6,750,000 for necessary upgrades and renovations as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funds will be used to renovate the patient dining area and replace steam lines at the hospital.

Rep. Hall said, "we have a deep and abiding commitment to ensuring that our veterans receive excellent health care in state-of-the-art medical facilities. The recovery funding going to the Montrose hospital will allow us to keep the promise we have made to care for our fighting men and women after they come home from serving our country. As an added benefit, the renovations and upgrades at Montrose will employ local contractors and help to jump-start the Hudson Valley’s economy."

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Rep. Hall helped to pass, will also aid veterans who received compensation from the Veterans Administration, pension payments, indemnity compensation or spina bifida benefits between November 2008 and January 2009, by providing them with a one-time payment of $250.

Rep. Hall said, "in these tough times, spurring economic growth by assisting our veterans is a way that we can honor their service while injecting needed funds into our local economy."

Recovery funds will also be used to hire and train temporary Veterans Administration claims processors and to pursue needed information technology initiatives.

"As the number of veterans increases at a time of economic uncertainty, it is urgent for us to make sure that claims are processed quickly and efficiently, so that we can get our veterans the compensation they deserve," said Congressman Hall. "I am proud to have voted for the Economic Recovery package that will make sure this happens."

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