The Dept. of Veterans Affairs remains the target of congressional ire after a recent announcement that a VA replacement hospital in Aurora, Colo., will cost $1.73 billion to build. That's more than five times the project's initial estimate of $328 million and double the $880-million cap set by Congress. The VA broke the news to congressional leaders in a March 17 phone call.
"The number took my breath away," said U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.).