{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/collins-warner-lead-bipartisan-group-18-senators-push-waive-technicality-harming-veterans%E2%80%99", "Collins, Warner Lead Bipartisan Group of 18 Senators in Push to Waive Technicality That is Harming Veterans Access to Timely and Quality Health Care", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "ME", "Susan Collins", "C001035", "www.collins.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA) led a bipartisan letter yesterday urging that 24 pending VA medical centers in 15 states be authorized before Congress adjourns. The letter, which was addressed to Senate leadership as well as the leadership of the Senate Appropriations and VA Committees, was signed by 18 Senators.\nThe funds for all 24 leases have already been appropriated by Congress, but authorization has been delayed due to a budgetary technicality. Under current rules, the Congressional Budget Office scores these leases as having large, up-front direct costs even though spending would not increase and the leases are subject to annual appropriations. As a result of this scoring issue, Congress has had difficulty authorizing major medical leases for the past three years.\nIn September, the Senators introduced the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, standalone legislation to authorize the leases.\n\u201cVeterans in each of these states deserve the timely and quality health care benefits they have earned through their service,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cAs such, we ask that you work to include authorization for these leases in the December funding bill, or another appropriate vehicle, to be signed into law this year.\u201d\nThe full list of leases needing authorization is below:\n1. Ann Arbor, MI \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  2. Birmingham, AL \u2013 Outpatient Mental Health Clinic  3. Birmingham, AL \u2013 Outpatient Specialty Clinic  4. Boston, MA \u2013 Research Space  5. Charleston, SC \u2013 Research Space  6. Daytona Beach, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  7. Denver, CO \u2013 Chief Business Office Purchased Care  8. Gainesville, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  9. Hampton Roads, VA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  10. Mission Bay, CA \u2013 Research Space  11. Missoula, MT \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  12. Northern Colorado, CO \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  13. Ocala, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  14. Oxnard, CA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  15. Pike County, GA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  16. Portland, ME \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  17. Raleigh, NC \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  18. Santa Rosa, CA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  19. Corpus Christi, TX \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  20. Jacksonville, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  21. Pontiac, MI \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  22. Rochester, NY \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  23. Tampa \u2013 FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  24. Terre Haute, IN \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\nThe text of the bipartisan letter is below. Click HERE to read the signed PDF letter.\n+++\nNovember 30, 2016\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Harry Reid  Majority Leader Democratic Leader  United States Senate United States Senate  Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510\nThe Honorable Thad Cochran The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski  Chairman Vice Chairwoman  Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations  United States Senate United States Senate  Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510\nThe Honorable Johnny Isakson The Honorable Richard Blumenthal  Chairman Ranking Member  Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs  United States Senate United States Senate  Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510\nDear Leader McConnell, Leader Reid, Chairman Cochran, Vice Chairwoman Mikulski, Chairman Isakson, and Ranking Member Blumenthal:\nWe write to urge the authorization of 24 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical facility leases before the 114th Congress adjourns. Funding for these leases has already been provided by Congress in previous appropriations acts. These authorizations are necessary to enable VA to deliver vital care and services to veterans across the United States.\nA 2012 change in budgetary scoring of VA\u2019s major medical leases by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has hampered the authorization of these important leases. Due to the change, the lease authorizations receive large, up-front direct spending scores covering the entire life of the lease, even though actual spending would not increase and the leases are subject to annual appropriations. This scoring issue has prevented Congress from easily authorizing major medical leases for the past three years, affecting 24 facilities across 15 states.\nThe full list of leases needing authorization is below:\n1. Ann Arbor, MI \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  2. Birmingham, AL \u2013 Outpatient Mental Health Clinic  3. Birmingham, AL \u2013 Outpatient Specialty Clinic  4. Boston, MA \u2013 Research Space  5. Charleston, SC \u2013 Research Space  6. Daytona Beach, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  7. Denver, CO \u2013 Chief Business Office Purchased Care  8. Gainesville, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  9. Hampton Roads, VA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  10. Mission Bay, CA \u2013 Research Space  11. Missoula, MT \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  12. Northern Colorado, CO \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  13. Ocala, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  14. Oxnard, CA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  15. Pike County, GA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  16. Portland, ME \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  17. Raleigh, NC \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  18. Santa Rosa, CA \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  19. Corpus Christi, TX \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  20. Jacksonville, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  21. Pontiac, MI \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  22. Rochester, NY \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  23. Tampa \u2013 FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic  24. Terre Haute, IN \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\nVeterans in each of these states deserve the timely and quality health care benefits they have earned through their service. As such, we ask that you work to include authorization for these leases in the December funding bill, or another appropriate vehicle, to be signed into law this year. We thank you for your continuing dedication to our nation\u2019s veterans and look forward to working with you to ensure their timely access to VA health care.\nSincerely,", 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://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/collins-warner-lead-bipartisan-group-18-senators-push-waive-technicality-harming-veterans%E2%80%99"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9480149019509554, "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"}