Central Louisiana News

BATON ROUGE – This morning, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) met veterans attending Southeastern Louisiana University, where he thanked them for their service and pledged to ensure they receive the health care benefits they earned.

“There are issues specific to veterans in terms of benefits from the VA, as well as directly related to their services,” said Dr. Cassidy. “These veterans were transparent on behalf of themselves and for their brothers and sisters in arms. I will take their issues and address them as much as I can to honor their service to our country.”

Cassidy has worked to expand educational and job opportunities for veterans and their spouses. In March, he introduced legislation to allow veterans to use their VA benefits to access trucking apprenticeship programs. Additionally in February, he introduced legislation to expand access to job counseling services for spouses of those who died on active duty in the military. Finally, he urged the U.S. Department of Labor last October to make more veterans eligible for career service programs funded by Jobs for Veterans State Grants.

On health care and disability benefits, Cassidy passed into law the Solid Start Act, which codifies into law the Trump-era policy that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contact every veteran three times by phone within their first year of separation from the military, connecting them with mental health and other resources available at the VA. Last September, he also grilled the VA Executive Director for Suicide Prevention after an Office of Inspector General report found that a 2021 veteran suicide was improperly handled.

Cassidy learned from student veterans how Congress can improve educational and health care benefits they receive and the timeframe on which they receive them. He was joined by Mr. Charlton Meginley, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and Dr. Will Wainwright, President of Southeastern Louisiana University. He was introduced to students by Ms. Emily Anthony, M.Ed., Director of Military and Veteran Success at Southeastern Louisiana University.

“We are so honored to have had the opportunity to have our student veterans’ voices be heard by some of the most influential leaders in our state who are working to improve veteran services in Louisiana,” said Ms. Anthony. “We are so hopeful that positive change may come from their feedback and look forward to future opportunities to collaborate with Senator Cassidy and Secretary Meginley in the future.”

Earlier, Cassidy visited the Shell Training and Conference Center in Robert which has been operational for over 40 years teaching basic and advanced skills needed by workers on oil platforms in Gulf operations.

“Shell gave a camera tour of one of their Gulf oil platforms and also demonstrated how they train off-shore workers,” said Dr. Cassidy.” The amount of effort put into making everything environmentally safe is more than you can imagine.”

Last month, Cassidy criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permitting freeze during a Senate floor session claiming it threatened job creation in Louisiana; this freeze was suspended by U.S District Judge James Cain last July—a ruling praised by Cassidy.

Additionally last month Cassidy questioned President Biden's nominee for Deputy Secretary about delays approving offshore oil leases during Senate hearings

Finally through Energy Permitting Reform Act provisions authored by him—requiring timely LNG permit reviews—passed overwhelmingly within Senate committee support

Cassidy received a detailed facility tour interacting both trainees executives alike hosted Carmen Berry Manager Deepwater Learning Robert Training Center

“Shell was happy host Senator other local officials at Robert Training Center we provide highly specialized training prepare offshore workforce safely operate Deepwater assets” said Berry.

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