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Lawmakers Expedite Plans for Two New Veteran Care Centers

A bipartisan agreement unveiled by state lawmakers and Governor McAuliffe will expedite the construction of two new veterans care centers in Virginia.  To set the plan into motion, the governor proposed amendments to recently passed legislation that would have released state funding only AFTER a U.S. Veterans Affairs grant was awarded -- but state officials say such a delay is unacceptable. 

The plan sets aside $66.7 million in state bonds to construct the centers.  McAuliffe said the federal funds requested by Virginia exceeded the amount allocated for the entire nation.  

“I enjoy going to Washington and bringing money back to Virginia. But I don’t think we can get 100 percent of all the money they have for 50 states. So it means we were very unlikely to see any federal funding for these projects any time soon. Our veterans cannot afford to wait.”

Under the amendments, the funds would no longer be contingent on the federal grant.  The new facilities will be located in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia, but House Majority Leader Kirk Cox said they will free up beds at the Richmond and Salem centers.  He added that other states have far fewer veterans but far more care facilities, although Virginia had tried numerous approaches to win federal funding. 

“This innovative idea that will allow us to use state money is really exciting because it really moves the timetable up by at least four years.”

Lawmakers will vote on the plan during the Reconvened Session.

And that session will be held on Wednesday.  State officials said they hope that eventually, a portion of the construction funds will be reimbursed by the federal government.