Nw Louisiana News

Grambling, La. – November 3, 2022 – Louisiana District 5 Congresswoman Julia Letlow will serve as the keynote speaker for the Veterans Day Appreciation Program at Grambling State University (GSU). Set for 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, the free public event will be held in the auditorium of the Bettye Smith School of Nursing building.

Greg Ludley, LaVetCorps Navigator and Director of the GSU Veterans Resource Center will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event which will be themed “Honor” and will also feature a performance by the GSU Choir.

Letlow took office in April 2021 after receiving 65 percent of the vote in a special election to win the seat previously won by her husband Luke, who passed away due to complications from COVID-19 only days before being slated to take office.

She is the first woman to represent Louisiana in the House of Representatives in 30 years.

Serving on the House Committee on Appropriation and, holding seats on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Letlow has also been a vocal opponent on the potential closure of the Alexandria Veterans Administration Hospital in Pineville and met earlier last spring with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough to voice her support in keeping the Louisiana facility open.

“Today I met with VA Secretary Denis McDonough to discuss the proposed closure of the Alexandria VA Hospital,” Letlow said in a statement issued on April 5. “I emphasized to the Secretary that simply closing this facility is unacceptable, because it will eliminate critical care for our veterans and shutter the fourth largest employer in the CenLa region. While I appreciate Secretary McDonough hearing our concerns, and I am encouraged by the open dialogue with him, I want the people of the Fifth District to know that we are continuing the fight to keep this hospital open.”

“It is important that we do everything possible to provide the absolute best care and services to America’s heroes. In the coming months, we will continue reminding the VA, Congress, and the White House about the importance of this facility and the crucial role it plays in our region.”

Then on July 14, Letlow voted to support the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, legislation that delivers a 4.6% pay raise for service members and invests more than $222 million in Louisiana’s military installations.

In addition, the current version of the NDAA helps protect Louisiana’s Alexandria VA Hospital by eliminating the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Asset and Infrastructure Review Board, which recommended the complete closure of the facility earlier this year.

“I voted for the NDAA because it will give a pay raise to our troops, invest millions in improvements at Fort Polk and Camp Beauregard, and is essential for our fight to keep the Alexandria VA Hospital open,” Letlow said in a press release.

Original source can be found here.