Big Sky Times

Bipartisan Legislation Would Authorize The Construction Of A New Central Utility Plant And Parking Garage At Fort Harrison In Montana; First Step In Series Of Projects To Modernize Fort Harrison Campus

The U.S. House unanimously passed bipartisan legislation today from U.S. Senator Jon Tester to approve several Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) construction projects in fiscal year 2023 to better serve veterans, including at the Fort Harrison VA facility in Montana. The bill now heads to the President’s desk.

“Delivering veterans the quality care and benefits they deserve starts with ensuring VA has top-notch facilities that’ll help get the job done right,” said Tester. “I’m glad the House passed my bipartisan bill that’ll help us deliver VA projects across the country, including much-needed investments at Fort Harrison. This is a critical first step in our efforts to revamp the Fort Harrison campus to better serve Montana veterans, and I urge the President to swiftly sign this bill into law.”

Tester’s Fiscal Year 2023 Major Medical Facility Authorization Act will authorize several VA construction projects this year, including at the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center in Montana for the construction of a new central utility plant and parking garage. This is the first step in a series of projects to upgrade the Fort Harrison campus to better serve Montana veterans and VA staff. As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester secured the funding for this project as part of the federal omnibus appropriations package for fiscal year 2023. 

These efforts build upon historic infrastructure investments in Tester’s Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. The PACT Act invested in VA’s infrastructure workforce through new recruitment and retention incentives, providing funding for 31 new facilities in 19 states, and delivering additional tools to build clinics more efficiently in the future including with the Department of Defense. The legislation also gave VA expanded authority to repurpose or lease out unused or vacant Department buildings benefiting veterans and saving taxpayer funds in the process.

Continuing his push to strengthen veterans’ access to health care and benefits, Tester is also pushing to pass his commonsense Build, Utilize, Invest, Learn, and Deliver (BUILD) for Veterans Act of 2023 to modernize delivery of VA infrastructure projects, bolster the Department’s workforce, and save taxpayer dollars.

As the only member of the Montana delegation who sits on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tester has led the way in expanding veterans’ access to care in Montana—securing resources to build new and modernized facilities across the state. Through years of focused work with multiple Administrations of both parties, and working across the aisle in Washington and with communities across Montana,Tester’s efforts have resulted in new facilities opening in several areas including 11 that opened or were awarded for construction. That includes two in Fort Harrison in Helena, Missoula, Miles City, Bozeman, Great Falls, Havre, two in Butte, Hamilton, and Kalispell.

Original source can be found here.