Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chair, I strongly support grant funding for construction of state extended care facilities included in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which will go towards facilities like the Ardie R. Copas State Veterans' Nursing Home in St. Lucie County, Florida. Our veterans should be receiving extraordinary care, and these facilities will provide those who fought for our nation with the long-term care they have earned.

The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs recently resubmitted its grant application to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for construction funding for the State Veterans' Nursing Home in St. Lucie County. I am hopeful and urge that this bill will fully fund the new facility on Florida's Treasure Coast, including the costs to adhere to Community Living Center standards. This facility will be the first of its kind in Florida and fill an existing nursing home service gap in our state.

I have been a strong advocate for the Copas facility, which will be a huge asset to our community and our veterans. The nursing home will provide health care, follow-up assistance, and long-term care services that we can be proud of, all while providing these services closer to home for many veterans. In addition to assisting veterans residing in St. Lucie County, it will also serve those in neighboring Martin, Indian River, Okeechobee, and Highlands counties as well as portions of six other nearby counties. This facility's location gives it the ability to reach approximately over 200,000 veterans with more than half of these veterans over the age of 65.

These important grants will advance long-term veterans care on the Treasure Coast and across the country. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical funding.

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