OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Goodlatte Commends Senators Webb and Warner for Opposition to Poff Building Renovation

Statement

Date: July 29, 2010
Issues: Veterans

Congressman Bob Goodlatte issued the following statement commending Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner for the letter they sent to Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Martha Johnson, Administrator of the General Services Administration, expressing opposition to the planned $50.9 million renovation of the Richard H. Poff Federal Building located in Roanoke:

"I am pleased that Senators Webb and Warner sent a letter to Secretary Shinseki and Administrator Johnson expressing their strong concern about the planned renovation of the Poff Federal Building. I share many of the same concerns that Senators Webb and Warner raised in their recent letter.

The significant disruption to the processing of veterans' claims and benefits which will result from haphazardly moving the Department of Veterans Affairs Roanoke Regional Office out of the Poff Building to four different locations during the renovations is extremely alarming to all of us. Additionally, we are concerned that once the renovations are completed they will not meet the VA Roanoke Regional Office's needs for a more efficient operation. How can the General Services Administration spend nearly $51 million of the taxpayers' money to renovate the Poff Federal Building and yet not address the needs of the building's tenants?"

Since the announcement, over a year ago, that the Poff Building would undergo $50.9 million worth of renovations, Congressman Goodlatte has received numerous inquiries from constituents concerned about the excessive price tag for the project, the cost effectiveness of this project relative to alternative construction, and the inability of local businesses to bid on the initial stages of the project. Since that time Congressman Goodlatte has aggressively sought answers from the GSA regarding the cost and scope of this wasteful and misguided project and called on the GSA and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate this matter.


Source
arrow_upward