U.S. Lawmakers Approve Protections for West Los Angeles VA Campus
On Wednesday, federal lawmakers approved a provision by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from commercially developing the West Los Angeles Veterans Medical Center, the Los Angeles Times reports.
President Bush and VA favor allowing commercial businesses to operate on the campus, a move that could generate as much as $4 billion in revenue, according to White House officials.
Bush, however, is unlikely to veto Feinstein's measure, which was inserted into an omnibus budget package that both the House and Senate approved.
Under Feinstein's provision, VA is prohibited from signing long-term commercial agreements or enhanced-use leases to sell part of the property.
Several businesses that already use the land will not be affected by the legislation, according to Feinstein's staff (Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times, 12/20).