West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill H.R. 711, the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021. This legislation is critical to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) efforts, together with community partners, to address veteran homelessness in the Los Angeles area. In addition, it helps VA use already available funding streams for certain homeless veteran programs, thus reducing the need for taxpayer funds.

I represent the West LA VA, a 388-acre campus that serves thousands of veterans in Southern California and across the state, including offering temporary housing for homeless veterans, legal aide, training, and other services. The land was deeded to the federal government in 1888 and for decades thousands of veterans lived there. Unfortunately, following damage from a major earthquake in 1971, the VA began transitioning the land away from housing, costing Los Angeles County a crucial node in the battle to fight veteran homelessness. On top of that, fraud and general neglect of the campus before my tenure led to some of the campus falling into a state of disrepair. Finally, the VA settled in a suit alleging that many enhanced use leases on campus were not principally benefiting veterans, but instead serving other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, a year after I took office, Congress passed my West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016, a law intended to clean up the campus and which directly led to the end of most non-veteran related leases. The law has also helped spur the redevelopment of the property into a true home for veterans. The VA is now implementing a plan to build at least 1,200 new subsidized apartments, which is composed of 23 projects that range from renovating existing structures to developing and building new units.

This progress is encouraging. But there is a serious problem that was brought to my attention recently by veteran advocates. A drafting error in the 2016 legislation prevents the West LA VA from using funds from enhanced use leases (EULs) for the purposes of housing construction. The VA can only use such funds for ``renovation and maintenance'' of the campus which means money is lying stagnant that could be used to build housing but instead, because of a technical error, cannot go toward helping the VA fight homelessness. This legislation fixes that error.

Second, as a result of fraud on campus, the VA was supposed to get several million dollars in asset forfeiture funds. But instead, such funds go back to the general fund at the Treasury Department to be dispersed around the country, for any purpose at all. Veterans at the West LA VA are doubly harmed--first, by the initial fraud, and second, by the theft of funds that are supposed to make them whole. My legislation fixes this problem by making it clear funds from settlement money and asset forfeiture resulting from any past or future fraud on campus go to veterans at the facility that was harmed. It's just common sense.

Finally, my bill increases the life of enhanced use leases on the campus from 75 to 99 years. Increasing the length of the leases would reduce the financing costs for new housing, further helping the VA and its partners tackle homelessness.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues on the House Veterans Affairs Committee for their support, including Chairman Takano, who has been a tireless champion for our nation's veterans and specifically veterans in Los Angeles. I am grateful to Members on both sides of the aisle who passed this bill out of Committee on May 4th by voice vote, bringing us one step closer to ensuring the VA has the legal authorities it needs help our veterans. Let's not let technical errors stand in the way of housing our nation's heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 711) to amend the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 to authorize the use of certain funds received pursuant to leases entered into under such Act, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 711, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill, the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act, would amend a 2016 law concerning the West Los Angeles VA campus.

H.R. 711, as amended, is sponsored by Congressman Ted Lieu, and is critical to the Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts, together with community partners, to address veteran homelessness in the Los Angeles area.

In addition, this legislation helps VA use already available funding streams to fund supportive housing for homeless and at-risk veterans and their families; community operations that support emergency shelter and supportive housing; and renovations and minor construction projects.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to express my gratitude to my colleague, Ranking Member Bost, and the Republicans on the committee for working with the majority. I believe that the issues that we worked out were common sense, and upon further examination, I think taxpayers and most independent, reasonable observers would say this is what Congress should be doing on behalf of our veterans. I can't imagine why there would be any objection to this on the floor of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 711, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 711, as amended, the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act.

In 2016, Congress gave the West Los Angeles VA campus the authority to carry out leases with third parties. These leases have the potential to create revenue for the VA. However, the funds generated by these leases could only be used for renovation and maintenance. This bill would change that.

It would require that any land use revenues received by the VA from a third party be credited to the medical facility's account. The funding in these accounts would be used to meet existing needs and new services for homeless veterans.

Revenues would now be available for the medical center to provide emergency shelter and supportive housing services for homeless or at- risk veterans and their families. These funds would be available without fiscal year limitations and further appropriations.

It makes sense that the medical center receives these funds and can use them to improve its campus and help homeless veterans.

I thank Congresswoman Brownley for her amendment at the markup which eliminated the mandatory score for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 711, as amended. I thank the gentleman and his staff for the hard work they have done on this bill to get it right. I appreciate it very much.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 711 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the Feinstein amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 711) An Act to amend the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 to authorize the use of certain funds received pursuant to leases entered into under such Act, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.