Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D. (R-Lafayette) today urged Democratic Leaders in Washington to allow a vote on the Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations Conference Report.

 

“Supporting our veterans, those who served our country admirably, is one of the most important jobs we in Congress have.” said Boustany. “To vote on this bill – to ensure our veterans have adequate benefits – is simply the right thing to do, and to delay or partner this with any unrelated legislation is unconscionable.”

Congressman Boustany is a co-sponsor of the measure, the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations conference agreement, which provides more than $64.7 billion to fund vital programs through the VA. In Louisiana, funds will go to the Pineville/Alexandria VA hospital as well as clinics in Lafayette and Jennings. Camp Beauregard and Fort Polk stand to receive more than $17.7 million to upgrade facilities and increase service. Additionally, $600 million is designated for transitioning active duty military personnel into the VA as they return from deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

 

The original bill passed the House on June 15 by a vote of 409-2, and it went to a conference of House and Senate members to settle differences between the two chambers.   Washington Democrats originally paired the veterans’ funding bill with the unrelated and pork-laded Labor-HHS appropriations bill that contains almost 2,200 earmarks totaling $1 billion according to CQ a Washington, DC daily newsletter. However, the President warned he would veto the Labor-HHS bill because of the resulting spending hike.

 

Boustany continued, “We must take care of our veterans. This bill does that, so let us honor our veterans by Veterans’ Day.”

 

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