News release from Congressman Marlin Stutzman (R-IN 3rd):
Stutzman Votes to Clear Last Hurdle for Fort Wayne VA Annex
House authorizes appropriations for lease
(Washington, D.C.) – Tonight, Congressman Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) voted to advance the Fort Wayne VA hospital’s lease of a 27,000 square-foot mental health annex. The House passed H.R. 2646, the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011, by a vote of 412-3.
H.R. 2646 authorizes appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs to begin major construction projects and enter into leases for VA facilities in fifteen cities across the nation, including Fort Wayne, Indiana. Tonight, the House took its final steps to advance a 27,000 square-foot annex that will provide a mental health clinic, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder clinic, and substance abuse clinic. The annex was approved in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012 earlier this year. H.R. 2646 now awaits the approval of the Senate and the President.
“Tonight, the House cleared its last legislative hurdle in moving the lease for the Fort Wayne VA annex to fruition and extending health services for veterans in Northeast Indiana,” said Stutzman. “This annex will only add to the array of services already provided by the Fort Wayne VA Hospital. It’s not the last chapter in our ongoing effort to ensure quality care for our vets, but it’s an important one. It’s only right to take care of those who have risked their lives for our nation.”
“When I came to Washington, I knew it was critical to obtain a seat on the VA Committee for this very reason. I’m committed to keeping inpatient care and expanding services for our veterans in Northeast Indiana. It is an honor to serve them and I’ll continue the fight to see that they receive the quality care they deserve.”
Congressman Stutzman represents the 3rd Congressional District of Indiana and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on the Budget and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Indiana’s 3rd District contains all of DeKalb, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben, and Whitley counties, as well as parts of Allen and Elkhart counties.
Congressman Stutzman’s official website