[VIDEO] Vital VA hospital project in limbo as price tag soars, lawmakers vow no ‘bail-out’

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Nearly one year after a new VA secretary vowed to clean up a broken health care system for America's veterans, a vital new hospital hangs in the balance as lawmakers and the agency fight over how to pay for it. 

The dispute came to a head this week as construction on the medical center in Aurora, Colo., was poised to grind to a halt Sunday without congressional approval for more spending beyond the current $800 million. 

On Friday, it appeared both sides had found a stopgap solution. After what one aide called grueling discussions between lawmakers and the VA, the House was able to pass a temporary fix that would keep things moving -- for three more weeks. The Senate is expected to pass a similar agreement on Friday, sources tell FoxNews.com. 

But for a project whose estimated costs have ballooned to $1.73 billion, the funding Band-Aid does not solve the long-term issue. 

"This is by no means a solution to the problems in Denver, which VA leaders created and are refusing to take responsibility for," said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. "Rather it is a last-chance effort to convince VA and Obama administration leaders to take the department's problems seriously." 

Via Fox News

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Obama Campaign Tries To Hold “Catholics For Obama” Rally In Colorado . . . Only 45 People Show Up…

Denver, Colo., Nov 1, 2012 / 04:03 am (CNA).- The Obama campaign attempted to schedule a rally-like event on a Catholic university campus in the key swing state of Colorado before settling on a dialogue with a co-chair of Catholics for Obama.

“Their original intent was to have more of a rally element to it,” said Paul Alexander, director of Regis University's Institute for the Common Good, which hosted the event.

“We just felt we couldn’t do a rally, but we felt a healthy dialogue among Catholics was important.”

About 45 people attended the Oct. 25 dialogue and small group discussion with Catholics for Obama national co-chair Nicholas P. Cafardi, a law professor and dean emeritus of Duquesne University School of Law.

The event was titled “Catholic Social Teaching: The Intersection of Faith and Politics.” Although it was hosted by the Jesuit university’s institute, it took place because of outreach from the Obama campaign.

Alexander told CNA Oct 26 that another Catholics for Obama national co-chair by the name of Victoria Kovari, the “main point of contact,” had sought out the university and asked if it would be willing to host an event.

Kovari is a former national field director and former interim president of the Democrat-leaning group Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

She attended the Denver event along with Broderick Johnson, a senior advisor to the Obama campaign.

At the Thursday evening gathering, Alexander said that the campaign had reached out to schedule the event, but had set no conditions on the talk.

“There was a strict adherence to bring a message that is totally non-political,” he said.

Via: Catholic News Agency

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