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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) who has fought for the past two years for funding to build a local veterans' health care clinic in Conroe, Texas, announced today that the House approved Military Quality of Life Appropriations Measure includes $25 million to establish the ten highest priority clinics across the country - of which the Conroe Clinic is one.
The Conroe Clinic has been identified as one of the top priority clinics for the nation and the top priority for the region by the Veterans Administration District 16 based in Jackson, Mississippi. A recent rally led by Brady and local veterans groups attracted 400 local residents who urged the VA to immediately establish the clinic which would serve veterans in Montgomery, Walker, San Jacinto and Liberty counties.
The Military Quality of Life Appropriations measure provides funding for veterans' health care as well as current military health care and military construction needs. It was approved unanimously by the House of Representatives.
"This is an important step forward for our clinic and demonstrates how urgently Congress wants these local clinics up and running for our veterans," said Brady, who submitted two funding requests to the committee to build the highest priority clinics in the nation. "The House has done its part. I'm encouraged that we are getting closer to the day when local veterans will get the convenient, quality health care they deserve."
An estimated 8,700 veterans living in the area would be served by an outpatient clinic in Conroe according to VA estimates.
The Veterans Administration, through the CARES report released in February 2004 established a time table for constructing Outpatient Clinics to provide access to healthcare for veterans throughout the United States, including a clinic to be located in Conroe, Texas.
The Department of Veterans Affairs originally forecast the Conroe Clinic to open sometime in 2005. Despite Congress allocating full funding of the Veterans Administration's 2005 budget request plus an additional $1.2 billion, the Veterans Administration has failed to meet the timeline goals of the CARES plan.
In addition to designating $25 million for the highest priority veteran's clinics, the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for 2007 also will do the following:
Ø Provide a historic $25 billion for Veterans Medical Services - $2.6 billion above last year's level, representing a 70 percent increase in total funding over the last 6 years;
Ø Increase funding by $20 million for facility improvements in existing state veterans' homes;
Ø Increase basic medical research funding by $13 million, for a total of $412 million;
Ø Add $12 million to upgrade Veterans Affairs medical research facilities nationwide; and
Ø Increase the defense health program by $1 billion, for a total of $21 billion.
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