Senate Democratic Leader Refuses to Allow Vote on Cornyn Amendment Aimed at Meeting Inpatient Hospital Needs of South Texas Veterans

Press Release

Senate Democratic Leader Refuses to Allow Vote on Cornyn Amendment Aimed at Meeting Inpatient Hospital Needs of South Texas Veterans

Last week, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2009 Department of Defense Authorization bill that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to formulate a definitive plan for meeting the inpatient health care needs of more than 100,000 veterans in South Texas. This amendment is based on a bill Sen. Cornyn introduced last year, the South Texas Veterans Access to Care Act of 2007, which is a companion to legislation introduced in the U.S. House by U.S. Reps. Ortiz, Hinojosa, Doggett and Cuellar. Unfortunately, Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid did not accept Sen. Cornyn's amendment and refused to allow it to come before the full Senate for a vote.

"I'm disappointed Majority Leader Reid refused to allow even a vote on a measure that would finally lay the groundwork for a new full-service VA hospital facility in South Texas. Congressional leaders claim to be committed to meeting the needs of our nation's veterans, but Leader Reid's decision today indicates otherwise. It is equally disappointing that the Democratic co-sponsors of my bill, including Senator Obama, did not join me in seeking to move this amendment forward. There is a real and pressing need for inpatient health care for more than 100,000 rural veterans in South Texas. Many of these veterans have to travel more than six hours to reach a VA hospital and access important, specialized care and services.

"Fortunately, the VA has made substantial efforts recently to expand outpatient health care facilities in South Texas, particularly in Harlingen, but more must be done. My bill would reinforce these efforts and expand them to include meeting the inpatient needs of South Texas veterans. We may have been denied today, but I will not give up the fight to provide our South Texas veterans with the essential inpatient health care they need and deserve," Sen. Cornyn said.

South Texas has one of the highest per capita levels of veterans in the nation. The estimated 100,000 veterans in South Texas are sometimes forced to drive up to 250 miles for inpatient medical care.

Sen. Cornyn's amendment would require the VA Secretary to consider the following three options for meeting the inpatient needs of our veterans in Far South Texas:

* A project for a public-private venture to provide inpatient services and long-term care to veterans in an existing facility in Far South Texas; or
* A project for construction of a new full-service, 50-bed hospital with a 125-bed nursing home in Far South Texas; or
* A sharing agreement with a military treatment facility in Far South Texas

Then, within 180 days of enactment, the VA Secretary would be required to notify Congress which one of these options is most appropriate and then execute that option. If the VA Secretary decides the construction of a new VA hospital is the most appropriate option, Sen. Cornyn's amendment would authorize appropriations in the amount of $175 million for the project.

Sen. Cornyn's bill, S.1838, the South Texas Veterans Access to Care Act, has had solid bipartisan support with four senators cosponsoring: Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Kerry, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Barack Obama.

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