posted June 25, 2008
The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations bill, including language on the Chattanooga National Cemetery expansion.
As the ranking Republican on this Subcommittee, Congressman Zach Wamp helped craft the bill.
“This is the first substantive language to begin a process of expanding the Chattanooga National Cemetery,” said Congressman Wamp.
“This is an example of how Congress should direct the Executive Branch through the appropriations process. The Executive Branch position is to not begin an expansion until the cemetery is in imminent threat of closure. However, we should make a move when the land is available to begin expansion, instead of waiting for the cemetery to close before trying to save it.”
The bill includes language directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a report on the feasibility of using funds from the National Cemetery Administration land acquisition fund to purchase land adjacent to the Chattanooga National Cemetery for expansion.
This report will be due to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate by March 31, 2009.
“The inclusion of this language follows several years of work with the veterans’ community in Chattanooga, the VA and Congress,” said Congressman Wamp. “While this is a meaningful step, I recognize that there are many more before this language is signed into law and will fight to keep this language included in the bill as the appropriations process moves forward.”
The next step is for the MilCon-VA Appropriations bill to be considered by the full House of Representatives.
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