Stutzman Votes to Fund Fort Wayne VA Annex

Press Release

Appropriations Bill Fights Red Ink, Serves Troops

Today, Congressman Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) voted to approve funding of a mental health annex at the Fort Wayne campus of the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System. Standing by his commitment to over 48,000 veterans in the 3rd Congressional District and taxpayers alike, Congressman Stutzman voted in favor of H.R. 2055, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012. The bill provides $589 million for major construction projects. Per the Department of Veterans Affairs' FY 2012 budget submission, a portion of that funding will provide for a 27,000 square-foot mental health annex in Fort Wayne. The bill now awaits the approval of the Senate and the President.

As Hoosier veterans return from global conflicts, the annex will provide a mental health clinic, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic, substance abuse clinic, telephone triage, and fee services programs. "This is an important step in the right direction," said Stutzman. "The annex does not replace or downsize any current VA operations-- it adds to the array of services already provided by the Fort Wayne VA hospital. Since my first day in Washington, I've been working to protect Hoosier veterans' access to quality care in Fort Wayne. My personal meetings with Secretary Shinseki, correspondence with the department, and numerous staff meetings have been aimed at the same goal--serving those who defended us."

In addition to providing funding for the Fort Wayne annex, the bill follows limits prescribed by the "Path to Prosperity," the GOP-backed budget that passed the House in April, and includes no earmarks. "This was a victory for vets, troops, and taxpayers alike," Stutzman announced.
Even at $615 million below last year's level and $1.2 billion below the President's request, the bill ensures the construction of hospitals, schools, and housing that service members depend on and funds the Department of Veterans Affairs, including advance appropriations for VA medical accounts in fiscal year 2013.

"The American warriors and their families who are making tough sacrifices deserve our full support. I firmly believe that we should honor our promises to veterans who made those sacrifices in the past. And, finally, the hard working Hoosiers who sent me to Washington deserve to have their money spent carefully. Our service members are fighting the war on terror around the globe. I'm fighting the war on debt in Washington. Together, we're keeping America strong," Stutzman concluded.

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