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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on Denver VA Hospital Construction Overruns

Original title: FIELD HEARING ON DENVER REPLACEMENT MEDICAL CENTER

January 1, 2016

veterans affairs hospital construction government accountability budget oversight denver medical center

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses the management and funding of a major federal infrastructure project that has seen costs balloon by 427% over initial projections, directly impacting the timeline and resources available for veteran healthcare in the Denver region.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Veterans in the Denver region

The construction delays and budget issues impact the availability and timeline of medical services provided at the facility.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The agency is under congressional scrutiny regarding its management and oversight of the construction project.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a in Aurora, Colorado, to investigate significant cost overruns at the Denver Replacement Medical Center. Senators and representatives gathered to hold the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable for a 427% increase in project costs from its original estimate.

Key Facts

The Denver Replacement Medical Center project experienced a 427% cost overrun compared to its initial inception estimate.
The hearing was held on April 24, 2015, at the Aurora Municipal Center in Aurora, Colorado.
The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs is conducting field hearings to investigate VA management failures and ensure veteran service delivery.
The committee previously investigated opiate over-prescription in Wisconsin and appointment cancellations in Phoenix, Arizona.
The hearing included testimony from the Government Accountability Office, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this hearing held in Colorado instead of Washington, D.C.?

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs adopted a policy to hold hearings in the locations where problems are occurring to better hold the VA accountable and see issues firsthand.

What is the primary issue with the Denver VA hospital project?

The project has faced massive cost overruns, specifically cited as 427% higher than the original cost estimate.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Shift to Field Oversight

The committee explicitly moved away from Washington-based hearings to local field hearings to increase accountability for VA failures.

Johnny Isakson Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Connected Entities

personMichael F. Bennet“U.S. Senator from Colorado”Map →

personJohnny Isakson“Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs”Map →

organizationU.S. Government Accountability Office“Provided testimony on infrastructure issues”Map →

locationDenver Replacement Medical Center“The VA hospital project in Aurora, CO, subject of the hearing”Map →

organizationU.S. Army Corps of Engineers“Involved in the construction oversight”Map →

personCory Gardner“U.S. Senator from Colorado”Map →

personRichard Blumenthal“Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy75
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment40
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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