Veterans hospital has narrow miss

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2003 | 10:13 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Efforts to change the federal program to re-evaluate the veterans health care system threatened the planned new veterans hospital and nursing home in Las Vegas for about an hour Wednesday, but no change ultimately took place.

Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., introduced an amendment Wednesday during debate on the bill that funds the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies. The amendment was intended to stop funds earmarked for the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services, or CARES, program unless the VA adopted their desired criteria.

Clinton, Enzi and 11 other senators wanted to see long-term care, mental health services and other matter considered before the CARES program moved forward.

New York stands to lose some of its veterans facilities through the realignment.

The amendment also would have delayed Las Vegas' proposed 81-bed hospital, outpatient clinic and a 120-bed nursing home called for by the CARES program, according to an aide to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

The aide said the final CARES report is expected to be submitted early next month. Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi anticipated to make a final decision on the proposal early next year.

The amendment was eventually withdrawn.

The Republicans' 30-hour debate on judicial nominees cut the debate on the spending bill short. It will be considered at another time, either on Friday or possibly in a grouping of several outstanding spending bills.

Since the bill is still not finished "technically, (the amendment) could be reintroduced. We're confident it will not be," Ensign spokesman Jack Finn said via e-mail.

Ensign and Reid opposed the amendment, saying the rapidly growing population in Southern Nevada calls for the new facilities.

"The veterans of Nevada can't wait much longer for the upgrades and new facilities that they desperately need and deserve," Reid said.

Ensign said, "We cannot allow the health care of our nation's veterans to be bogged down in a political process."