Senator Vitter Announces Progress on Veterans’ Affairs Clinics In Lafayette And Lake Charles
U.S. Senator David Vitter says progress is being made on authorizing Veterans' Affairs clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles.
Thursday, Vitter urged the U.S. Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee to include both of the clinics in their funding authorization bill next month.
Vitter says,
"We have a potential breakthrough in getting our VA clinics to south Louisiana. I’ve been in close contact with the Senate Veterans’ Affairs committee for months on this, and we’ve finally convinced them to mark up legislation in July that would include authorization (of) some badly needed VA clinics. That will almost certainly include Lafayette, and we’re still fighting to get Lake Charles on that list as well. As you know, these have been stuck in the mud for quite a while, so moving either or both of these forward through this legislation in July will be a real breakthrough with a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Vitter met with Ranking Member Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) this week to discuss the issue. He says he was able to get the commitment that at least the Lafayette clinic will be included. He said they also discussed continuing to push for the Lake Charles clinic as well.
Vitter also worked to include a provision into the National Defense Authorization Act during the Senate Armed Services Committee markup that would have addressed seven national VA clinics including the clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles, but his efforts were blocked by bureaucracy in the committees.
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