Fiscal Year 2024 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6324) to authorize major medical facility projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2024, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6324
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Fiscal Year 2024 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act''. SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECTS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the following major medical facility projects in fiscal year 2024 at the locations specified and in an amount for each project not to exceed the amount specified for such location:
(1) Construction of a new specialty care building 201, renovation of building 18, and expansion of parking facilities in American Lake, Washington, in an amount not to exceed $155,600,000.
(2) Expansion of clinical space for mental health, expansion of parking facilities, and land acquisition in Dallas, Texas, in an amount not to exceed $93,100,000.
(3) Construction of a new health care center and utility plant in El Paso, Texas, in an amount not to exceed $759,200,000.
(4) Replacement of community living center and expansion of parking facilities in Perry Point, Maryland, in an amount not to exceed $274,310,000.
(5) Seismic retrofit and renovation of buildings 100 and 101, roadway and site improvements, construction of a new specialty care facility, and demolition and expansion of parking facilities in Portland, Oregon, in an amount not to exceed $613,000,000.
(6) Initiation of replacement of the medical center of the Sierra Nevada Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including land acquisition and preliminary site work, in Reno, Nevada, in an amount not to exceed $223,800,000.
(7) Construction of a new spinal cord injury building, partial renovation of building 1, parking facilities, central utility plant upgrades, and the seismic retrofit of the existing spinal cord injury building 11 at the San Diego Health Care System of the Department in San Diego, California, in an amount not to exceed $311,700,000.
(8) Construction of a new research facility, parking structure, and demolition in San Francisco, California, in an amount not to exceed $264,500,000.
(9) Seismic corrections for building 1, construction of a new administrative building, and expansion of the outpatient clinic and parking structure in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in an amount not to exceed $370,370,000.
(10) Phase 1 of the replacement of bed tower, expansion of clinical building, consolidation of administrative building and warehouse, water tower, and new utility plant and parking garages in St. Louis, Missouri, in an amount not to exceed $135,340,000.
(11) Construction of a new surgical and clinical space tower, renovation of buildings 1 and 2, and demolition in West Haven, Connecticut, in an amount not to exceed $153,128,000.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2024 or the year in which funds are appropriated for the Construction, Major Projects account, $3,354,048,000 for the projects authorized in subsection (a).
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Mr. BOST. 6324, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 6324, as amended. H.R. 6324 will authorize major VA medical construction projects in Washington, Texas, Maryland, Oregon, Nevada, California, Missouri, Connecticut, and Puerto Rico.
Updating VA's aging infrastructure is a constant process. In order to best serve our Nation's veterans and provide them with the modern healthcare that they deserve, it is essential that we fund projects like these.
The projects in this bill include new healthcare centers, a community living center, specialty care buildings, mental health clinics, research facilities, and others. The average VA medical center is decades older than the average private hospital.
I still believe the best way to solve the problem would be to align spending on VA facilities with the veteran population. Unfortunately, that is not being taken care of in the Senate. We have passed it out of here.
We also need to fund the construction projects VA is requesting right now. This legislation would deliver new facilities in communities throughout the country.
I recognize the work of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for helping with this legislation and bringing this bill to the floor on behalf of our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6324, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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