Full VA Medical Services Center for South Texas veterans
- by: South Texas Vets
- recipient: Sen. Patty Murray Chm of Senate VA Affairs & Rep. Jeff Miller Chm of House VA Affairs committees
We, the undersigned, do hereby petition Senator Patty Murray, Chairperson of the Veterans Affairs Committee and Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee to move and assist in getting approved Senate Bill 396 and House Bill 837. The bill calls for an expansion of existing facilities at the VA Harlingen Health Center to include a full service medical center. Both S 396 and HB 837 has being filed in the 112th Congressional Session.
Greetings:
We the undersigned citizens of this Great Nation of ours do hereby petition the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to take action on SB 396 filed by Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison asking for the expansion of the VA Harlingen Clinic to a full medical service center. Veterans in south Texas have been advocating and petitioning the Veterans Affairs to do so for the past six decades. We ask that this bill be brought to a vote and passed to the full Senate Floor at the earliest possible date.
The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Service System which was recently created to meet the health needs of local veterans was created in October 2010. It will need a "flag ship hospital" and what better way to do it. Its new building costing over $40 million dollars has ample room to expand to a full service medical center. The present private medical care contracts are becoming very, very expensive and the budget of this new system is in jeopardy. Expansion will also help the VA's San Antonio Hospital by taking some of its patients and alleviating the patient load. At the present the VA San Antonio Hospital is bursting at the seams with veteran patients. This expansion is a win-win situation for the Veterans Affairs.
We ask for your vote of support of this bill once you have a chance to read it. On behalf of the over 114,000 veterans in south Texas thank you.
