House to Vote on Authorizing VA Clinics Today

U.S. Senator David Vitter's office announced today that legislation that would authorize 27 Veterans Affairs clinics across America is likely to pass the House of Representatives today.  The passage would include a VA clinic for both Lafayette and Lake Charles.

Vitter says that he will push for a unanimous consent agreement in the Senate to pass the House's bill.

Vitter says,

"Bureaucratic errors at the VA threw these clinics into jeopardy in the first place. It’s absolutely crucial for Louisiana veterans to have both of these clinics. I’ll be offering the House legislation up for unanimous consent in the Senate as soon as possible to expedite the process and not have to mess with a new Senate bill which could potentially slow down the process.”

In the press statement, Vitter says he met with the nominee to be the Undersecretary of the Veterans Administration, Sloan Gibson.  Vitter told Gibson that he expects the legislation to be passed by the end of the year, and if that happens, he will support Gibson's nomination.

The press release stated,

"A recent ruling by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reversed authorization for twelve Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) clinics from last year’s VA funding bill, including clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles. Vitter urged the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to include both clinics in the committee’s funding authorization bill."