July 28, 2010

Perlmutter Secures Additional Funding for VA Hospital in Aurora and Buckley AFB
“It is our moral obligation to take care of our troops and veterans.”

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) voted to support our troops and veterans by ensuring critical funding for veterans health services and the construction of key facilities for training and housing our military.

As part of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act passed by the House today, Perlmutter helped secure $450.7 million for construction of the new VA Medical Center to be built at the Anschutz medical campus in Aurora.  Full funding of $800 million is already approved to be spent for the hospital and $307.3 million already appropriated through FY 2010 (ie: the check is written). 

“It is our moral obligation to take care of our troops and veterans and ensure the best medical care is available to the courageous men and women who fought for our freedom and defended our nation.  Thousands of veterans in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain region will benefit when the doors open at this state-of-the-art VA Medical Center. I am proud our delegation and the Congress prioritized this project which will help bring thousands of good-paying jobs to the area.  We cannot wait any longer to fulfill our nation’s promise to our veterans.”

Furthermore, Perlmutter also secured $4 million for repairs to two Buckley Air Force Base taxiways.  Additionally the appropriations bill includes $12 million for construction of the new 460th Space Wing Security Squadron facility at Buckley Air Force Base.

“Repairs to these taxiways at one of our nation’s premier air bases, helps our military keep pace with the needs of a nation at war, and ensures the men and women serving in the 140th Fighter Wing at Buckley AFB are able to defend, train, patrol the Rocky Mountain West 24 hours a day.” 

Since January 2007, Perlmutter with his colleagues in Congress will have provided a 70 percent increase in funding for veterans’ health care and benefits, over 10,000 new claims processors to reduce VA case backlogs, 3,389 new doctors and 14,316 new nurses, 145 new community-based vet outpatient clinics, and 92 new vet centers. 

This legislation, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, strengthens the VA workforce to tackle claims backlogs and to process new educational benefits provided through the new GI Bill enacted in the last Congress, under Democratic leadership.  And, it allows the VA to process newly eligible claims for disabilities of Vietnam veterans and their survivors due to exposure to Agent Orange.  The legislation also provides new family caregiver benefits for disabled veterans.

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