Julia Brownley: “I rise this afternoon to offer an amendment to H.R. 2029. My amendment would restore the funding for major construction…”

“I rise this afternoon to offer an amendment to H.R. 2029. My amendment would restore the funding for major construction projects in the Department of Veterans Affairs to $1.14 billion to meet the level that the VA has requested. As ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, I share the outrage of many of my colleagues over the unacceptable mismanagement of the VA's major construction program. I agree that VA management must be held accountable for their failure to manage construction costs for the Denver hospital. Congress must reform the VA construction program so that it uses taxpayer dollars wisely and efficiently. However, we cannot continue to ignore the sad state of disrepair in VA hospitals and clinics across our country which are in desperate need of funding for modernization and health and safety improvements. Most of the VA's medical infrastructure is old and outdated. The average building age is approaching 60 years. Many VA health facilities urgently need seismic retrofitting or emergency repairs. Others are too small to accommodate the growing population of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the aging population of veterans who served in Vietnam continues to put great stress on the VA. Many veterans in underserved communities like Ventura County are counting on us, on Congress, to ensure that new construction projects are delivered and that their health care needs will be met.…”