Update on VA hospital

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Harlingen, TX

Arturo Treto Garza

956.226.9176

December 10, 2011

This past summer, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) included legislation in the fiscal year 2012 Military Construction and Veterans Funding bill t(HB 2055) that would bring south Texas one step closer to having a full-service VA hospital. He attached his HB 1318 to it. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday June 14, 2011by a vote of 411 to 5 and on June 15, 2011 and was referred to the Senate.

Congressman Cuellar’s legislation calls for the expansion of veterans’ health care access and urges the VA Administration to prioritize the construction of a VA hospital in south Texas by placing it on the VA Strategic Capital Improvement Plan (SCIF), designed to place the project on a priority list. Additionally, Congressman Cuellar has introduced a bill to expand the existing VA health care center in Harlingen to provide in-patient care, urgent care services and a full range of services for women veterans as well as other support services.

The Senate voted on July 17, 2011 and passed with an 89-11 vote The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill (2055). The Senate voted on amendments of their own and again passed with a vote of 97-2. Cuellar’s amendment was included and remains as part of the bill. The bill now moves to a Conference Committee where both Chambers need to agree on. . The House agreed to a Conference Committee on this past Wednesday December 7, 2011 and presented a list of Conferees. There will be 19 conferees from the House and 17 from the Senate. The Senate also submitted names of the Conferees.

Veterans in south Texas are optimistic in the passage of the bill and that it will be forwarded to the POTUS. The POTUS has 10 days (inclding Sundays) to act on the action or it becomes law automatically. Of course he can review it and sign it or not approve it. Veterans hope that he signs it since he promised to help during his Presidential Election campaign.

At this time, a date has not been set for the Conference Committee conferees to meet. Veterans will monitor 2055’s movement. If the bill becomes law, then a proposal that is being worked on by the local Veterans Health Care Network will stand a better chance of getting funded through the SCIF..