A Texas U.S. Senator has voiced his support for bringing an expanded Veterans Affairs clinic into the Hub City.

In a letter to Eric Shinseki, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Senator John Cornyn said that since the lease for the current Lubbock VA clinic expires in 2015 and an expanded caseload at the Amarillo VA clinic is now the norm, the Lubbock VA Clinic should be expanded.

Cornyn stated that the Texas Tech Board of Regents approved the use of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and land could be used at no cost for the construction of a new facility that could be leased for an extended period by the VA.

“The benefits of this proposal are clear, as co-location of the VA clinic near a major medical academic center and a county hospital would provide veterans with easy access to additional services they do not currently have at the Lubbock VA Clinic,” Cornyn said.

“Furthermore, this proposed site is more accessible than the current location, connected to three major transportation arteries, and served by the City of Lubbock’s bus transit system.”

Cornyn has asked that the VA consider this request for prioritization of projects for the Fiscal Year 2014 budget request.

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