Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy expressed his support for Doug Collins, President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“You’re going to be a fabulous Secretary of the VA, and you have my support,” said Dr. Cassidy, adding a light-hearted comment about their differing college sports team loyalties.

The discussion also touched on artificial intelligence (AI) in managing health care records at the VA. “When I speak to people and read about the use of artificial intelligence, some say it’s the perfect bureaucrat,” noted Dr. Cassidy. He emphasized that AI's effectiveness relies on proactive engagement.

Collins questioned why AI was not being utilized more effectively within the VA system: “We’ve got a health care records system that is non-existent right now," he stated, expressing his intent to explore improvements actively.

Senator Cassidy has been active in legislative efforts concerning veterans' affairs. Recently, he reintroduced the Restore VA Accountability Act aimed at enhancing accountability within the VA by expediting disciplinary processes for employees failing to serve veterans adequately.

In December, two of Cassidy's bills passed in the Senate: The Veteran Service Organization (VSO) Equal Tax Treatment (VETT) Act and the Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act. The former seeks to expand tax deductions for charitable contributions to organizations serving armed forces members, while the latter aims to increase job counseling access for spouses of deceased service members.

Cassidy has also introduced legislation such as the VetPAC Act designed to improve healthcare quality for veterans through an advisory commission modeled after successful existing commissions like MACPAC and MedPAC.

Previously, in 2022, Cassidy's Solid Start Act was unanimously passed by the Senate. This act strengthens efforts to connect newly separated veterans with VA programs and benefits during their first year post-service.