{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://fortenberry.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/omaha-world-hearld-editorial-bringing-little-omaha-dc-way-va-clinic", "Omaha World Herald: Editorial: Bringing a little Omaha to DC, by way of a VA clinic", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Jeff Fortenberry", "F000449", "fortenberry.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congress has coalesced around Omaha\u2019s sound idea to let local donors help the Veterans Administration serve the medical needs of local veterans better, faster and cheaper than the federal bureaucracy can on its own.\nThe bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., would change federal law to allow public-private partnerships with the VA, the kind Omaha used to build CenturyLink Center Omaha. The measure would let the VA to replace Omaha\u2019s aging VA hospital more quickly than by federal funding alone.\nThe local plan is to replace the hospital with a new, $136 million ambulatory clinic. This would serve most Omaha-area veterans\u2019 medical needs more safely and efficiently than the hospital. Private donations would help build the clinic faster than the VA could afford to because of cost overruns with other VA construction projects.\nAshford\u2019s bill passed the House Wednesday. The Senate passed it overnight Friday, surviving an effort by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to hold up consent votes on widely supported bills, including Fischer\u2019s, while he sought an amendment to help coal miners.\n\u201cThis bill is a good bill and it is needed,\u201d Fischer told The World-Herald. \u201cWith it, our nation can better deliver on its promises to our veterans.\u201d\nNebraska 1st District Rep. Jeff Fortenberry called the VA clinic partnership bill \u201ctransformative.\u201d Iowa 3rd District Rep. David Young described it as \u201ca new way of doing things.\u201d Both helped Ashford get it passed.\nAshford\u2019s replacement, Rep.-elect Don Bacon, R-Neb., a retired Air Force brigadier general, has applauded the public-private effort.\nAll of this effort restores a little confidence in Congress\u2019 ability to act in a bipartisan fashion to address important national needs. Gridlock doesn\u2019t have to be a default position.\nAshford, who helped rally local donors to the cause, told The World-Herald that Omahans are ready to act as soon as the law lets them. Secretary Bob McDonald said in an August visit to Omaha that he\u2019d like this clinic to pilot a new way forward.\nClinic supporters are champing at the bit to show that public-private partnerships can get help more quickly to the men and women who served \u2014 and those who keep them healthy.\nClick here to read the entire article.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://fortenberry.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/omaha-world-hearld-editorial-bringing-little-omaha-dc-way-va-clinic"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.064517069607973, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}