Congress OKs stopgap bill to keep Denver VA hospital moving
Congress has agreed to another short-term deal to avoid a work stoppage on the over-budget veterans hospital under construction outside Denver.
The House approved a measure Friday to raise the spending cap by $150 million, allowing work to continue until at least September. The Senate approved the deal Thursday.
The project would have hit its current cap of $900 million in a few days. If that happened, construction would stop.
The measure allows the VA to shift $150 million from elsewhere in its budget.
It’s the second stop-gap measure for the project, which is now expected to cost up to $1.73 billion, nearly triple last year’s estimate.
Lawmakers haven’t been able to agree on a long-term deal. Congress wants major changes in the VA before approving enough money to complete the project.
