A bill to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, and for other purposes.

I want to thank my colleague from Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of S. 509, which would authorize the VA to construct this new, multiple specialty outpatient clinic building as the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington.

Now the Walla Walla VA Medical Center serves more than 65,000 veterans in a 14-county area that spreads over northeastern Oregon, southeastern Washington and central western Idaho. It's an integral part of the VA's Northwest health care network and has long established itself as a very important resource for veterans and the veterans community.

Now, the construction of this outpatient clinic, along with campus renovations, upgrades and additional parking, will help this facility better serve our men and women who have worn our uniform. This investment in the Walla Walla VA Medical Center will cement its place as a provider of health care to veterans in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho by providing them with a modern facility that will improve quality-of-care delivery and that will continue to allow them to provide the best care possible.

Since 2003, when the VA's Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services, or CARES, Commission released its draft recommendation for the closure of this facility, veterans have rightfully raised concerns about the future of VA-delivered health care in this very rural region of our country. These veterans face the real possibility of having to drive hundreds of more miles to receive even the most routine care at the next closest VA facilities, which are located in Boise, Idaho; in Portland, Oregon; or in Spokane, Washington.

Like others in 2003, I voiced my strong concerns regarding the proposed realignment through a letter to then-Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi, and I submitted testimony to the CARES Commission. Through concerted efforts by area veterans, local advocates and elected officials, former-VA Secretary Jim Nicholson fully realized the importance of the care provided in this facility and reversed the commission's decision.

Today, the Walla Walla VA Medical Center continues to make a name for itself through the quality of care that it provides to our veterans. I was there in December of 2008, and I had the opportunity to meet with the new director of the Walla Walla VA Medical Center, Mr. Brian Westfield, and to receive an update on the facility, which has recently expanded its reaches into my congressional district through the opening of a very important clinic, a community outpatient clinic in La Grande, Oregon.

Last fall, the VA approved $71.4 million to design and construct this new, multiple specialty outpatient clinic in Walla Walla. The legislation we consider today would authorize that project. It is my hope that, with the completion of this clinic, the Walla Walla VA Medical Center will continue its tradition of providing quality care to the men and women who have given so much in service to our Nation.

So I thank you again for the opportunity to speak in favor of Senate bill 509. I thank Senator Murray for bringing this forward, and I thank members of both the Oregon and Washington delegations and of the Idaho delegation for their support. I look forward to the passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 509) to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, and for other purposes.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 509, a bill to authorize a new outpatient clinic at the Jonathan M.

Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington.

This bill would authorize appropriations of $71 million for the VA's construction and major projects account in fiscal year 2009. This funding would be used to design and construct a 65,000-square-foot outpatient clinic which will serve nearly 70,000 veterans in the Walla Walla area.

It has been a long journey since July 2003 when the VA was trying to close the Walla Walla facility. There have been challenges along the way, especially with the CARES Commission's decision in February of 2004, which formally recommended closing this facility.

However, we managed to do right by our veterans in the Walla Walla area by removing this facility from the VA's facility closure list and by getting the VA to include the construction of an outpatient clinic at the Walla Walla VA Medical Center in the fiscal year 2009 major construction priority list.

All of this would not have been possible without the leadership, hard work, and advocacy of Senator Murray.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to personally thank Senator Murray for introducing this bill and to thank Chairman Akaka of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee for moving the bill forward. I know how incredibly important it is to our veterans, especially to those in more rural areas, to get the care they need, so I strongly support the passage of S. 509.

I reserve the balance of my time.

We have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 509.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge my colleagues to unanimously support this.

I want to thank the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) for so eloquently and clearly stating the need for this. Our rural veterans need this. This would have been a mistake to not extend this facility, and I appreciate your hard work to get this done.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately Monday night, November 2, 2009, and the morning of November 3, 2009 I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 1168, H. Res. 291, S. 509, H.R. 3949, H. Res. 398, and H. Res. 866 due to a scheduled town hall meeting in Cerro Gordo, Illinois.

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 832, on suspending the Rules and passing H.R. 1168, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 833, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 291, Recognizing the crucial role of assistance dogs in helping wounded veterans live more independent lives, expressing gratitude to The Tower of Hope, and supporting the goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 834, on suspending the Rules and passing S. 509, to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 835, on suspending the Rules and passing H.R. 3949, Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 836, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 398, Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift's success, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 837, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 866, Expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation in times of war and conflict, I would have voted ``aye.''

It is my fervent hope that my absence in no way be interpreted as a lack of support and enthusiasm for these important issues and undertakings. Congress' schedule in recent days has been subject to sometimes unpredictable additions and subtractions of days. As the original schedule had established an adjournment date of Oct. 30, 2009, I felt safe in scheduling a town hall meeting the evening of Monday, Nov. 2, for the purpose of meeting with and hearing from my constituents--the voters and citizens who are critical in guiding my votes and my conscience on the important issues we all face.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 509, a bill to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs' medical center in Walla Walla, Washington.

S. 509 would facilitate the construction of a new outpatient clinic building, consolidating the administrative and support functions that are currently spread across Walla Walla's 88-acre campus. This new outpatient clinic building will allow for the integration of primary and specialty care as well as for mental health and ancillary services into a single state-of-the-art facility.

S. 509 has the full support of the Washington delegation. It is important to note that funding for this bill has already been appropriated. The funding must now be authorized so that we can move forward with the proposed improvements to the Walla Walla facility.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support S. 509 and the improvements it will provide to veteran's medical care, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).

I just want to thank, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Oregon for sharing with us and for showing us that this is not only bipartisan but that it is also a tri-State effort to get this done. So I think that further illustrates the importance.

I would like to thank our committee chairman, Bob Filner, and Ranking Member Steve Buyer for moving the bill forward for consideration. I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 509.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I missed recorded votes on the House floor on Monday, November 2, 2009 and Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

Had I been present on Monday, November 2, 2009, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 832 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 1168), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 833 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 291), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 834 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to S. 509).

Had I been present on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 835 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to HR. 3949), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 836 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 398), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 837 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H Res. 866), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 838 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 867), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 839 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3157), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 840 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 736).