HR 4647: Captain Paul W. Bud Bucha VA Medical Center Act of 2025

HR 4647 in plain English: This bill would officially rename the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West Haven, Connecticut, to the Captain Paul W. 'Bud' Bucha VA Medical Center in honor of Captain Paul W. Bucha.

Stated purpose

This bill renames the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West Haven, Connecticut, in honor of Captain Paul W. 'Bud' Bucha, a Medal of Honor recipient and veterans advocate who received care at that facility.

Key points

• Renames the VA medical center in West Haven, Connecticut, after Captain Paul W. 'Bud' Bucha.

Arguments supporters make

• Naming the center after a Medal of Honor recipient who personally sought and received care there is a meaningful and fitting tribute to his service and sacrifice.
• Captain Bucha openly discussed his own struggles with post-traumatic stress and helped reduce the stigma around veterans' mental health, making a VA medical center a particularly symbolic honor.
• Recognizing local heroes by name on public institutions helps communities remember and teach the stories of those who served.

Arguments opponents make

• Renaming federal facilities requires staff time and taxpayer money to update signage, stationery, and official records, with no direct improvement to patient care.
• Congress names buildings frequently, and critics argue these acts use legislative time that could be spent on more substantive veterans' health or benefits legislation.
• Some may feel facility naming decisions are better left to local communities or the VA itself rather than decided through federal legislation.

Tradeoffs

The bill offers a symbolic honor to a veteran's legacy at little direct cost, but consumes congressional time and administrative resources without changing how care is delivered at the facility.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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