Washington, DC – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement on the plan passed by the Senate to allow for continued construction of the Aurora VA hospital.
“Patchwork funding is not the right way to build this medical center, but the worst and most costly option would be a construction shutdown.
“The Colorado delegation has continued to work together to push for a full plan to finish the job. Congressional and Committee leaders must continue to work with the VA and the Administration to come to an agreement that identifies funding to complete the project and includes robust accountability measures to ensure the project stays on track. Veterans in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain region have waited long enough. It’s time to get this thing done.”
Last week, Bennet secured an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 with Senator Cory Gardner that directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on the administration and oversight of VA contracts for the design and construction of major medical facility projects. It will examine the VA’s design models, the agency’s change order process, and how the agency compares to private-sector best practices.
The senators also introduced an amendment to give the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authority to manage major construction projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The amendment would designate the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the construction agent on all VA projects over $100 million.
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