Cardin, Mikulski & Van Hollen Fighting For $300 Millions For BRAC Traffic Fix In National Capitol Region

Statement

I, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski and Congressman Chris Van Hollen welcomed the House's passage of the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill which includes $300 million for BRAC-related transportation mitigation efforts at the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia. Both installations and their surrounding communities stand to be heavily impacted by the 2005 BRAC-mandated consolidation, set to conclude in September 2011.

Senators Mikulski and Cardin are working in the Senate to ensure the federal funds remain in the Defense bill, which is currently under consideration in the Senate. A vote is expected in the coming days. Once passed, it will then be sent to the President for his signature.

The DoD Appropriations bill passed by the House and headed to the Senate for passage is good news for the thousands of wounded warriors and their families who use the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, as well as Montgomery County's beleaguered commuters. As a delegation, we have been united in our effort to provide needed federal support for the expanded medical facility and the tens of thousands of new military and civilian jobs being brought to our state through the BRAC process. I am pleased that we are able to make such an unprecedented investment in a truly world-class facility.

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