Veterans Affairs has plans to open a new VA health care center in Harlingen, Tex., prompted by an independent study requested by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.). The new facility, says a VA release, will eliminate “about 95 percent” of trips by veterans to San Antonio to seek medical care. VA also plans to expand services at McAllen and Corpus Christi. The Harlingen initiative begins right away with expansion of current VA space and will continue to 2010, when VA expects to have nearly 165,000 square feet of medical space.
The Pentagon is counting on Congress to navigate a legislative tightrope and pass a party-line bill to fund nearly a quarter of its $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027, including billions of dollars for top priorities like Golden Dome, the F-35, munitions, and unmanned systems. Experts and lawmakers from…