Lamborn and Udall launch naming committee for new VA Clinic

Posted: Feb 27, 2013 5:32 PM by Andy Koen
Updated: Feb 27, 2013 5:44 PM

WASHINGTON D.C. - They may sit on opposite sides of the aisle in Congress but today Senator Mark Udall, (D) Boulder and Congressman Doug Lamborn, (R) Colorado Springs found a piece of common ground, literally. The politicians have launched a committee to come up with a name for the new Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic under construction in Colorado Springs.

The committee will be taking submissions from any interested members of the community between now and June 30. Lamborn and Udall will then draft the name into legislation early next year.

"This community-based outpatient clinic will help provide veterans from the Pikes Peak region, southern Colorado and the Eastern Plains with valuable health care services near where they live and work," Udall said in a statement Wednesday.

"But for this to be truly a community effort, we need to hear from local voices. I hope that veterans from throughout the region will help this community-driven board identify an appropriate namesake for the clinic."

"This is a unique opportunity for everyone in the Pikes Peak region to have a direct voice in naming our new VA clinic," Lamborn added.

"We want the naming committee to engage with anyone who has a thoughtful contribution to make toward naming the new clinic. I also want to thank the members of this committee for volunteering their time to help in the naming process."

Congress has established certain criteria for the naming VA clinics after individuals. The person must be deceased and must meet at least one of the following:

A recipient of the Medal of Honor or otherwise performed military service of an extraordinarily distinguished character
A member of Congress associated with the facility to be named
A veteran instrumental in the construction or the operation of the facility to be named
A top military or civilian official in a service branch, the U.S. Defense Department or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
An individual who performed outstanding service for veterans

The name must have the unanimous approval of the Colorado Congressional Delegation and of the leading veterans organizations in the state with at least 500,000 members.