Senate OKs Deal For VA Hospital; House Vote Expected
DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Senate has approved a deal to let the VA complete a long-delayed and over-budget medical center in Aurora.
The measure approved Wednesday would allow the Veterans Affairs Department to shift the $625 million it needs to finish the hospital from other accounts within its budget. The provision is part of a broader bill to avoid a government shutdown.
The deal also turns over future big VA construction projects to the Army Corps of Engineers.
The House is expected to vote later Wednesday.
The House must also vote to raise the spending cap on the project before the deal is final. The Senate approved that step on Friday.
The hospital in suburban Aurora is expected to cost nearly $1.7 billion, almost triple last year's estimate.
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