The Veterans' Affairs Medical Center in Aurora, Colo., has been saved from being shut down once again with President Obama's signing of legislation directing more money to the construction, according to an article on the Military.com website.
The legislation gives the VA limited, one-time authority to move about $150 million from 10 budget items and funds in order to continue work on the facility through Sept. 30.
The funds are coming from employee training programs, green energy projects, minor construction projects, the VA's revolving supply fund, its franchise fund, and the VA secretary's office.
The original cost estimate for the hospital was $600 million. It is now estimated it will cost about $1.7 billion.
The VA asked lawmakers to let them transfer about $700 million from the Choice Act — intended to expand health care access to veterans — to the Aurora project, but Congress told the VA it needed to find the money from elsewhere.
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