(WASHINGTON, DC) – U.S. Representatives John Carter (R-Round Rock) and Chet Edwards (D-Waco) today recommended to Pentagon officials that the new Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood be constructed in its entirety starting in 2010, rather than in two phases as planned. The two congressmen have been told by Fort Hood officials that over $100 million in taxpayer dollars could be saved if their proposal is adopted by the Pentagon.

Carter and Edwards today submitted a bipartisan request to the Department of Defense to complete Phases I and II of the replacement project simultaneously with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations bill, which was passed into law earlier this year to fund U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Carter and Edwards added $488 million to renovate military hospitals under the bill as members of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Appropriations. If approved, the request would save substantially on construction costs, avoid a long period of split activity within the Medical Center, and more rapidly upgrade medical services for soldiers, dependents, and retirees.

"Combining Phase I and II would be a win for the taxpayer and our military families," says Carter. "We would save on construction costs, and improve health services more quickly. With the majority of Recovery Act funds remaining unspent and unclaimed, we could put those funds to use right now on this project for the benefit of all."

Edwards, Chairman of the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee said, "No military installation in America has sent more troops to Iraq and Afghanistan than Fort Hood. Fort Hood troops and their families deserve a new, modern hospital, and our proposal would provide them more timely, world-class medical care while saving taxpayers over $100 million."

Current construction plans call for Phase I of the project to break ground in September 2010, with completion set for 2013 at the current site of the Fort Hood Stadium, and will include a three-story Clinic Building and a three-story Ancillary Building. The buildings will house numerous departments including Primary Care Clinics and General Surgery. Phase 2 of the project is currently set to begin in 2016 with completion by 2019. It will include a 5-story tower that will house the emergency department, medical surgery center, and intensive care units, among other departments.

Both Congressmen are members of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Appropriations, and Co-Chairs of the House Army Caucus. Carter currently represents Fort Hood, while Edwards represented the facility prior to congressional redistricting in 2004.