Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2393) to authorize a major medical facility project for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2393.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Senate companion to my bill, H.R. 6710, the Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, offered by Senator Moran.

For veterans in southern Illinois, the St. Louis VA Medical Center is an essential part of the VA healthcare network.

S. 2393 authorizes up to $1.76 billion to modernize and expand the St. Louis VA, including new clinical space, a bed tower, and a dedicated mental health and substance abuse clinic.

Many of the veterans I represent travel there for care, and this bill would help ensure that the campus is prepared to meet the needs of veterans across the region for years to come.

This new clinical space would give care teams more room to serve patients, while the mental health and substance abuse clinic would strengthen access to important services for veterans and their families.

Campus infrastructure improvements, including parking, utilities, and site work will also help the St. Louis VA operate more efficiently as a regional medical center.

The bill also supports the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that makes high-quality care possible, from upgraded utilities and a central utility plant to improved parking, security entrances, water systems, administrative space, and service facilities.

These investments would expand capacity, support specialized care, and improve the overall experience for veterans, caregivers, providers, and staff.

I am proud to support this bill because it is a practical, forward- looking investment in the veterans who depend on the St. Louis VA. This will help modernize care, improve access, and better serve veterans in my district and veterans across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2393, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act. Although the title says fiscal year 2025, this legislation will actually authorize funding for a major medical facility project in St. Louis, Missouri, for fiscal year 2026.

I thank our Senate counterparts for taking the lead on this annual bipartisan, bicameral exercise this year. I

understand this project is critical for the veterans of St. Louis and will expand capacity through the addition of a new bed tower, a clinical building expansion, and the construction of several administrative and infrastructure updates.

I will continue to strongly support investments in VA's infrastructure. While this project represents only a small fraction of the VA's overall infrastructure investment needs, this is an important project, and I am glad to support it today.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to authorize a critical project for veterans, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 2393, the Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.