CONGRESSWOMAN MOORE TO FIGHT FOR ZABLOCKI MEDICAL CENTER’S NEW SPINAL CORD INJURY UNIT

Congresswoman Gwen Moore today decried the decision of the House Committee on Appropriations to remove Milwaukee’s Zablocki VA Medical Center from a list of veterans medical facilities slated to receive funding for significant technological upgrades and structural refurbishments. Zablocki, a major veterans’ facility in Wisconsin’s Fourth Congressional District, had been placed on a priority list by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in February to receive $32.5 million for a new Spinal Cord Injury Unit (SCI) in the 2007 budget.

“I am shocked and saddened that the Appropriations Committee has gone against the recommendations of the VA, of the Administration, and over half of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation. The Administration placed Zablocki on a priority list to receive funding because the veterans at Zablocki are a priority,” said Congresswoman Moore. “We’re talking about our nation’s veterans—heroes by any measure—who have lost the use of their legs and arms and often the ability to live independently. The least we can do for these veterans is honor their sacrifices by providing them with an up-to-date medical center to facilitate their healing and ensure their comfort.”