Carbondale Reporter

U.S. Reps. Mike Bost (IL-12) and Ann Wagner (MO-2) have urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize critical improvements at the John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis. In a letter addressed to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Bost and Wagner highlighted the urgent need for funding to replace the hospital's aging bed tower and modernize clinical services. The letter was also signed by U.S. Reps. Sam Graves (MO-6), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3), and Jason Smith (MO-8).

"For far too long, St. Louis and Metro East Illinois veterans served by the John A. Cochran VA Hospital have been waiting for improved medical facilities," said Bost. "The VA has recognized for well over a decade that the hospital’s bed tower needs to be replaced and its clinical services need to be modernized. This project must be funded as a top priority – and it needs to happen now. As chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I will continue working with Rep. Wagner and my colleagues in Missouri to see that the Biden administration gets this project over the finish line. Our veterans deserve it."

"Missouri veterans have served our nation with honor, and they deserve world-class treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs," said Wagner. "The VA has held up the John Cochran construction project for too long, a shameful failure that has blocked our veterans from vital modernized medical facilities. I am calling on the VA to take immediate action, request funds for this project, and treat our veterans with the respect they have earned."

The full letter can be read here.