Coffman: Funding May Be Available For VA Hospital Construction
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4/AP) - Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman told CBS4 it's possible Congress could allot $2 billion in so-called "unobligated" funding to revive construction at the VA hospital in Aurora, nearly a week after the contractor halted work.
"I think this is important to be able to show that the money is there to pay for the project," he said.
Coffman said the funding would need to be swapped from other projects across the county, but it's doable. Diverting funding to the hospital's construction could mean other projects are delayed.
The contractor, Kiewit-Turner, stopped construction last week after a federal board of appeals ruled the Veterans Administration breached its contract.
The appeals board says the VA didn't produce a design that could be built for the contracted $604 million and the company says it could cost more than $1 billion. The board also found that the VA doesn't have sufficient funds to pay for construction of the entire project as currently designed and has no plans to ask for more money.
Colorado's congressional delegation says it's concerned about veteran care and the jobs of the 1,400 construction workers involved in the project.
The VA has argued the builder was involved in that design process and that it did not breach the contract. The agency has also rejected the contractor's demands to be let out of the building contract.
The new hospital will replace an aging facility in east Denver. It will include a traumatic brain-injury center, nursing care and other clinics.
On Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan Gibson arrived in Aurora to try to settle the contract dispute after the state's congressional delegation sent a letter urging the agency to come up with a plan to continue construction.
Coffman said the head of the VA needs to apologize to veterans, workers and taxpayers for what he called "the conduct of his organization."
Gibson met with workers on Tuesday and is scheduled to talk with Kiewit-Turner on Wednesday.
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
