Two Washington-area military hospitals tapped to replace embattled Walter Reed Medical Center received an unexpected $218 million boost from Congress, Rep. Jim Moran’s office said Wednesday

The massive Pentagon spending plan the U.S. House approved Wednesday and the Senate is expected to approve later this week sends $415.9 million to the massive expansions at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and Fort Belvoir’s DeWitt Army Community Hospital in Fairfax County.

The unexpected additional funding should speed the projects’ completion dates, Moran’s office said Tuesday.

President Bush is expected to endorse the $696 billion spending plan that includes $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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“This funding will get DeWitt on track to be completed so that our military servicemen and women and the nation's veterans receive the highest quality of care possible,” Moran spokesman Austin Durrer said.

Construction aiming to add 75 beds and additional intensive care and psychiatric functions to the 45-bed DeWitt facility began last month.

Walter Reed has been set for closure in 2011 and some lawmakers have been trying to close the hospital sooner, following concerns about inadequate and negligent care at the facility.

A precise breakdown of the funding was not available Wednesday, including how much money would go to each project and how the money would be spent.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com

wflook@dcexaminer.com