Tanner: Senate Action Is Step Toward Fort Campbell, Montgomery Co. VA Investments

November 20, 2009 |

U.S. Rep. John Tanner today praised the Senate for its passage Tuesday of its version of the Military/VA Construction Appropriations bill. The bill will now be sent to a conference committee to reconcile differences with the House-passed bill, Tanner said.

The House bill passed July 10 includes projects Tanner requested for Fort Campbell facility improvements and to push for construction of a veterans’ nursing home in Montgomery County.

“Passage of the Senate bill gets us another step closer to making these crucial investments at Fort Campbell and to make the VA understand what many of us have long known: that Middle Tennessee veterans deserve a nursing home in Montgomery County,” Congressman Tanner said. “We will continue following the legislative process and encourage the conference committee to realize why these are important commitments.”

Support for a Veterans’ Nursing Home in Montgomery County

While Middle Tennesseans have long recognized the need for a long-term care facility in Montgomery County, the Department of Veterans Affairs currently ranks the 140-bed home 70th on its priority list.

The House bill includes language instructing the VA to more closely study the needs of Middle Tennessee veterans, which will make it clear the home should be a top priority, Tanner said.

VA construction projects are decided at the discretion of the VA and cannot be directly funded by Congress. The instructive language drafted by Congressman Tanner and included in the House bill sends the strong statement that Congress sees a need for the project.

Physical Fitness Center, Fort Campbell

The House and Senate bills both recommend $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, included in both the House and Senate bills, 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.

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

About Congressman John Tanner

Tanner represents the 8th 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. A veteran of the U.S. Navy and the Tennessee Army National Guard, Tanner chairs the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and is serving as NATO PA President.

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