House Passes Tanner-Requested Military, Veterans Investments

July 13, 2009 |

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. John Tanner and the House of Representatives passed a bill that includes investments Tanner requested in Fort Campbell facility improvements and encourages construction of a veterans’ nursing home in Montgomery County.

The 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act passed the House Friday by a vote of 415-3. It includes the following investments requested by Congressman Tanner:

Support for a Veterans’ Nursing Home in Montgomery County

“It has long been clear to us in Middle Tennessee that there is a need for a long-term care facility to serve the large veteran community in and around Montgomery County,” Tanner said. “This vote by the U.S. House instructs the VA to more closely study the need, which we feel will make it clear to VA why this investment should be higher on its priority list.”

VA construction projects are decided at the discretion of the VA and cannot be directly funded by Congress. The proposed 140-bed veterans home in Montgomery County is currently ranked 70^th on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs list for construction priorities.

Physical Fitness Center, Fort Campbell

The bill invests $900,000 to construct a 44,347-square foot Army Standard Physical Fitness Center to serve family members on the south side of Fort Campbell Army Base. Fort Campbell’s current conditioning and training facilities do not adequately meet the community’s needs.

Chapel and Multi-Purpose Complex, Fort Campbell

This $14.4 million investment calls for construction of a 1,200-seat chapel and family-life multi-purpose facility important for worship services, large gatherings and classroom education. Current facilities were first constructed during World War II and cannot adequately meet the needs of the families on base today.

“These investments support the military families sacrificing in service to our country and those veterans who have served us in the past,” Tanner said. “We are working to better meet quality-of-life standards for servicemembers and their families and taking another step toward construction of a veterans nursing home to serve those who have sacrificed for their country.”

In accordance with the House’s new appropriations transparency guidelines, Congressman Tanner has posted detailed information about these requests on his Web site, www.house.gov/tanner.

The Senate still must consider its version of the legislation.

About Congressman John Tanner

Tanner, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Tennessee Army National Guard, represents the 8^th Congressional District in West and Middle Tennessee. Co-founder of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, Tanner serves on the Ways and Means Committee, where he chairs the Social Security Subcommittee, and on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Tanner chairs the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and is serving a two-year term as NATO PA President.

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