Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Dent and Ranking Member Bishop for all their hard work on this year's military construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill. I know that both of you had to make difficult decisions to get under the current financial constraints.
The President's budget included $1.4 billion in funding for VA major construction projects. Unfortunately, this bill only includes $561 million, which is $582 million less than the request. This severely impacts access to care for veterans.
My amendment increases the VA major construction by $177 million, although I would still prefer to restore full funding for major construction with the President's fiscal year 2016 budget request. The amendment is offset by reductions to the VA administration IT accounts, bringing them in line with the fiscal year 2015 enacted levels. In addition, the general operating expenses account would be reduced by $27 million.
However, my amendment will ensure that more VA construction projects are funded, including the outpatient clinic and national cemetery in Alameda, California, and a 187,000-square-foot community-based outpatient clinic in French Camp, California.
Without this funding, more than 87,000 veterans in and around my district will have to continue to wait for the quality medical care that they have earned. For example, I recently drove with a veteran to the nearest VA medical center. His appointment was only 30 minutes, but including travel, it took us 8 hours. It took all day. This cannot continue.
The VA buildings are an average of 60 years old. Since 2004, use of Department facilities has risen 80 percent to 120 percent, while the condition of these facilities deteriorated over the same period of time. There are more than 3,900 infrastructure gaps that will cost between $54 billion and $66 billion to close, including $10 billion in activation costs.
Moreover, the Veterans Health Administration has over 21 major construction projects dating to 2007 that have been only partially funded. To complete existing projects and to close future gaps, the VA will need to invest at least $23 billion over the next 10 years. At current requested funding levels, it will take more than 67 years to complete the 10-year capital investment plan of the Department.
Our brave men and women deserve access to the best healthcare system our Nation has to offer, and that is the VA healthcare system. Not adequately funding our future construction projects is a disservice to our Nation's heroes.
Now I share my colleagues' outrage at the VA boondoggle in Aurora, Colorado. This is unacceptable to taxpayers, to veterans and their families, and an embarrassment to the VA. While we are all frustrated with how this process has gone, further funding reductions to major construction does not help build additional facilities on schedule, fails to provide additional oversight of construction projects, and does nothing to reform VA construction processes. I am pleased that both the chairman and ranking member recognize the need to address this issue and have included important language to that effect, but there is still more work to be done, and that is something we plan to address in the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In addition, the VA announced last week that it is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to identify projects in which the Corps will serve as the construction agent. The VA and the Corps are still working on the exact projects and criteria, but this is a step in the right direction.
Mr. Chairman, I understand the frustration, really, but cutting funding right now to these projects doesn't solve the problem. It is hurting our veterans. We need to think outside of that box. Let's focus on improving our construction process and not punishing the veterans across the country because of what occurred in Denver. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
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