A bipartisan congressional deal to help improve veterans' health care access includes approval for new veterans clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A bipartisan congressional deal to help improve veterans' health care access includes approval for new veterans clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles.
That's according to U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, who each announced Monday that the clinics made it into the agreement between the leaders of the U.S. House and Senate veterans affairs committees.
In separate news releases, both Landrieu and Boustany said authorization for southwest Louisiana's new clinics has moved too slowly, but each said the deal represents a significant step in seeing health care access expanded for veterans in the state.
Landrieu's office says 50,000 veterans live in the region.
The House and Senate are expected to vote on the bill by the end of the week, before Congress leaves for a five-week recess.