Cajun Conservatism
Photo source: Military.com
Congressman Clay Higgins, along with the Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office, is hosting a workshop on Monday, March 25th, to assist vets with benefits.
As a veteran, you are entitled to multiple benefits.
Workers from the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs along with staff from Congressman Higgins' office will be there to help.
Read more: VETERANS WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) called for the resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert McDonald. In addition to McDonald’s controversial statement yesterday comparing VA wait times to those at Disneyland, Vitter contends McDonald’s leadership at the VA has failed to improve efficiency within the agency.
“Our nation’s veterans who have sacrificed so much deserve far more than insulting, ignorant jokes and a prolonged failure to fix the major problems within the agency,” said Vitter. “Not only has Secretary McDonald blatantly ignored Congressional requests and concerns regarding his choice in personnel, but he has also been very well aware of the terrible wait times in Louisiana including the VA’s failures to get the outpatient clinics completed. He’s dragged his feet in Louisiana, and this insulting Disneyland analogy sums up what many thought of him. Leadership starts at the top, and the VA needs a leader who will prioritize implementing necessary reforms to better serve our veterans. For the sake of our brave men and women in uniform, it’s high time for Secretary McDonald to turn in his resignation.”
Vitter has been critical of Secretary McDonald’s leadership of the VA. Most recently, McDonald appointed Dr. Skye McDougall to be Director of the South Central Veterans Affairs Health Care Network (VISN 16) who lied under oath during a congressional hearing. McDougall lied under oath to Committee members indicating the average wait time for a medical appointment at her then-assigned post in Los Angeles, California was 4 days. CNN later reported that she was lying and the average wait time for new patients at that facility was actually 44 days. Click here to read more.
Vitter, along with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), has also been working to establish permanent VA clinics in Southwest Louisiana. The lawmakers recently held a call with VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson and Peter Dancy, the new director of the Alexandria Veterans Affairs Health Care System (AVAHCS), to ensure the projects are completed by the end of the year. Click here to read more.
(Lafayette, LA) – Dr. Charles Boustany issued the following statement after media outlets reported that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald compared veterans’ wait times seeking much-needed healthcare to a trip to Disneyland.
McDonald said: “The days to an appointment is really not what we should be measuring, we should be measuring the veterans’ satisfaction. When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? What’s important?”
Boustany said: “Secretary McDonald’s comments trivializing the struggle of Louisiana’s veterans to get even basic care from the VA showcases everything that’s wrong with the agency. Secretary McDonald has been charged with the health and well-being of the men and women who return home from serving our country in combat. The Secretary’s contemptuous comments are disgraceful, and he should apologize to our veterans immediately.”
In Congress, Dr. Charles Boustany has led the charge to increase access to care for Louisiana’s veterans. In 2014, Boustany passed legislation winning authorization for two new veterans’ healthcare clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles. Additionally, Boustany was a main proponent of the Veterans’ Choice Program created in 2014, which allows veterans to seek care from private healthcare providers in their communities. Boustany has introduced legislation expanding the Veterans’ Choice Program for veterans in communities that are under-served by the VA, like Lafayette and Lake Charles. He has continued to keep pressure on the VA to keep its promise to Louisiana’s veterans and complete clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles as soon as possible.
Vitter submits Congressional Record for Frank Levingston, the nation's oldest WWII veteran who passed away on May 3, 2016
(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) today submitted to the Congressional Record a recognition of the life and achievements of Frank “Uncle Frank” Levingston of Lake Charles, La. Levingston was the oldest veteran of World War II until his passing on May 3, 2016.
“As the oldest living World War II veteran, Levingston played an active role in building a greater United States for future generations. It is a privilege to recognize Frank Levingston who was a true American hero. His many accomplishments and commitment to serve his country will not be forgotten,” said Vitter.
Vitter met with Levingston at the Fort Polk Veterans Day Ceremony on November 10, 2014
Levingston was born on November 13, 1905 in Cotton Valley, La. When the United States entered World War II after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Levingston joined the United States Army, where he dutifully served as a Private and Automobile Serviceman and participated in the Allied invasion of Italy. After his honorable discharge from the Army in 1945, he became a union worker specializing in cement finishing. In 1981 Levingston moved to Lake Charles, La., which he called home for the rest of his life.
Levingston will be laid to rest on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at the Wesley Grove CME Church in his hometown of Cotton Valley, La.
Lawmakers cite concerns over selection to supervise VA in Louisiana, highlight false statements and lack of actions on VA wait times
Photo source: abc15.com
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), along with U.S. Representatives Charles Boustany, Jr., M.D. (R-La.), Steve Scalise (R-La.), John Fleming, M.D. (R-La.), Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Ralph Abraham, M.D. (R-La.), and Garret Graves (R-La.), sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald to express their concerns with the selection of Dr. Skye McDougall to serve as the Network Director for the South Central Veterans Affairs Health Care Network (VISN 16). In the letter, the lawmakers urge VA Secretary McDonald to rescind Dr. McDougall’s appointment in light of her history of lying under oath and refusal to take action regarding the controversial wait times for veterans at VA facilities.
“Louisiana veterans deserve the absolute best access to healthcare available, and ensuring that top-notch care for our brave servicemen and women starts at the top of the food chain. Frankly, Dr. Skye McDougall’s appointment to supervise the VA in Louisiana is an insult to our veterans,” wrote the Members of Congress. “Given the fact that the VA is currently working to regain the trust of veterans in Louisiana and across the nation, we firmly request that you rescind Dr. McDougall’s appointment, and instead choose a proven trustworthy leader who will prioritize the needs of our nation’s veterans above a career in bureaucracy.”
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators David Vitter (R-Metairie) and Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-Baton Rouge) and Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD, (R-Lafayette) applauded the opening of the Lake Charles VA Interim Clinic on 814 W. McNeese St. The VA is holding an open house to celebrate the clinic’s official opening today from 1:00 – 3:00 pm.
Vitter and Boustany wrote to the VA in February asking the Secretary to visit Louisiana and see the facilities firsthand. VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson visited Lafayette and New Orleans later that month at Vitter and Boustany’s request, calling the existing Lafayette clinic “inadequate and unacceptable.” During the Deputy Secretary’s visit to Lafayette in February, he announced that veterans in Lafayette would be granted access to temporary additional clinic space by the VA. After follow-ups from the Louisiana delegation, Gibson authorized additional clinic space for Lake Charles.
Vitter said: “While I’m glad to see my years of hard work with Congressman Boustany have come to fruition with the opening of this much needed VA clinic providing access to quality healthcare for veterans living in Lake Charles, I will not stop pushing until the permanent Lake Charles clinic is up and running, as are the interim and permanent clinics in Lafayette. The veterans of southwest Louisiana have waited long enough.”
Cassidy said: “Securing a lease for a permanent VA clinic and opening the interim clinic are steps in the right direction. Until the clinic opens and starts seeing patients, we must continue to ensure our veterans have access to reliable, quality care in south Louisiana. Making sure the VA fulfills its mission to serve our veterans and not bureaucrats must be one of our highest priorities.”
Boustany said: “When I called for the Secretary of the VA to come to Louisiana to view the conditions where it’s treating our veterans, Deputy Secretary Gibson called the facilities ‘unacceptable.’ Today’s opening is the result of a lot of hard work and diligence from our congressional delegation in holding the VA’s feet to the fire and ensuring our veterans’ needs are met. I’m proud to have led this effort to provide better facilities and expanded services for our South Louisiana veterans, because they’ve earned it.”
Photo source: Wikipedia
(Washington, DC) – Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana) and Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD, (R-South Louisiana) applauded an announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that a contract agreement has been reached for the supplementary healthcare clinic, known as “Campus B,” in Lafayette. This clinic was authorized by VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson after he traveled to Lafayette to visit with local veterans in February 2015 at the request of Boustany and Vitter. Gibson called the existing VA facilities in the community “inadequate and unacceptable” and ordered the VA to begin searching for additional clinic space.
According to the VA, the building will be located at 309 Saint Julien Avenue in Lafayette, Louisiana. Campus B will provide mental health services, with the goal of alleviating overcrowding issues at the current CBOC on Jefferson Street. The facility will also remain open to patients once the new CBOC on Ambassador Caffery Pkwy is completed. Renovations required for Campus B have caused the VA to expect completion of the facility in May 2016. However, the VA explains they will be granted access to temporary space on a different floor of the same building, where they will be able to begin seeing patients while renovations on the remainder of the facility are completed. The VA estimates the temporary space will open for patients within the next several weeks.
Vitter said: “Our brave veterans deserve the best access to healthcare possible — no matter where they live, whether it’s in a big city or a rural area. That’s why I’ve been working with Congressman Boustany to open VA facilities across southwest Louisiana, and today’s announcement will allow us to better serve those who have already given so much for our country and freedoms.”
Boustany said: “I’ve fought hard to ensure our veterans have the best possible facilities and good access to care in Lafayette. Although we experienced delays on this project, Senator Vitter and I have worked hard to hold the VA’s feet to the fire and ensure they continue moving forward on this promised space. I will continue to hold the VA accountable and ensure they adhere to their timeline to provide this new space with expanded services for our veterans.”
Photo source: NOLA
If there was any doubt on how low the Democrats will go in order to win the Governor's Office in Louisiana, it was evident this past weekend when John Bel Edwards' campaign released what amounts to, in my words, pure filth. The accusation by his campaign was that Sen. Vitter put "prostitutes over patriots" while in DC. In what has to be felt as a proverbial slap in the face, a mother of a slain guardsman is requesting that the video be pulled because of how offensive it really is.
Sen. Vitter has been a staunch advocate for the military. Vitter, in this particular instance, was able to secure an exemption for this fallen soldier's burial at Arlington. He was initially denied this honor because his death did not occur in the line of duty, but Vitter ensured that he was given appropriate honor by securing this exemption.
For someone going about promoting his "honor", this is about the most dishonorable thing that could be done by a campaign. The Democrats and John Bel Edwards should immediately apologize to veterans and their families and this video needs to be taken down, for the sake of "honor."
In what appears to be something similar to the "welcome home" Vietnam veterans received following the Vietnam War, a wounded warrior and his family vacationing in Panama City Beach was spit on, as well as his service dog, and the American Flag was ripped apart and urinated on by fraternity members from the University of Florida and Emory University. As a result, three members of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity have been been expelled and the fraternity is on suspension from the University of Florida. The fraternity issued the a statement regarding the incident and the subsequent actions taken by both the frat and the University of Florida.
Read more: Frat boys spit on wounded vet, urinate on American flag
