SAN ANTONIO – President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 includes $30 million for land acquisition to build a new veteran medical center in San Antonio, which would replace the current Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital.
The budget describes the acquisition as a necessary first step to address the growing veteran population in the area. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has long supported the initiative, emphasizing the importance of improving access to care for veterans, particularly to prevent suicides among those not receiving benefits.
In a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas Collins on March 10, Jones highlighted the need for a modern facility, noting that 64% of veteran healthcare enrollees in the region are under 64 years old, the South Texas Veterans Healthcare System has only 27 beds despite being the second-busiest emergency department within the Veterans Health Administration, and the number of female veterans in South Texas is expected to rise significantly.
Jones stressed that having a single VA hospital for the community requires it to meet top-tier 21st-century clinical standards, noting the current hospital, which opened in 1973, is insufficient for current emergency and specialty care demands.
