NOTICIAS

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of their legislation (S. 2159) to name the new Clay County Veterans Affairs Clinic, in Middleburg, Florida, the “Andrew K. Baker Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.” Rubio and Scott first introduced this bill in the 116^th Congress and reintroduced it in June 2021. Cammack, along with the entire Florida delegation, reintroduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 1960). Last month, Rubio led the entire delegation in a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs urging them to move the bill. With the Senate’s passage, the bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.
 
U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Andrew Kenneth Baker served our country bravely for seventeen years before losing his life in a helicopter crash on March 13, 1997 while trying to land on a Naval frigate during a training event.
 
“I thank my Senate colleagues for passing my bill to honor U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Andrew Kenneth Baker’s legacy of bravery and service to our country,” Rubio said. “The new VA clinic in Clay County will be instrumental in providing quality care to our veterans who have dedicated their lives to serve, like Chief Petty Officer Baker. I am hopeful that the House will pass this bill as soon as possible so that it can become law.” 
 
“With this legislation, we honor the legacy of U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Andrew Kenneth Baker, who served as a search and rescue swimmer, helping train hundreds of service members before his passing in a tragic training accident,” Scott said. “I am proud to have the Senate pass this designation which will pay tribute to his incredible service.”
 
“I’m thrilled to see the passage of the bill to rename the Middleburg VA clinic after local hero Andrew K. Baker,” Cammack said. “Our community in Florida’s Third Congressional District knows how important it is to honor Chief Baker and remember his legacy, and I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line in the House. Thank you to Senator Rubio for his leadership on this effort in the Senate.”