Higgins’ Legislation Naming Lafayette VA Clinic after Veteran Rodney C. Hamilton Sr. Passes House

Jul 17, 2026 | Issues, Press Releases, Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued a statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6963, legislation designating the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the "Rodney C. Hamilton Sr. VA Clinic."

"Rodney Hamilton dedicated his life and career in service to the United States of America and our Veterans. His lifelong advocacy made it possible to establish Lafayette's state-of-the-art VA clinic, and it is fitting that every Veteran assisted by this clinic will know his name," said Rep. Higgins. "I am proud to have led this Louisiana delegation effort, and look forward to its swift passage in the Senate."

Louisiana delegation members Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Congresswoman Julia Letlow (R-LA), Congressman Cleo Fields (D-LA), and Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) are co-sponsors of the legislation. Supporting organizations include the American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans state chapters. Read the full text here.

Congressman Higgins led debate in favor of the legislation on the House floor before it passed unanimously by voice vote. Watch his full remarks here.

Rodney Hamilton was born in 1932 in Fort Worth, Texas, and moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, in 1948, where he would reside until his death in 2020. At the age of 17, Hamilton joined the Marine Corps and served in the Korean War. He was wounded in combat in September 1951 and was awarded the Purple Heart. After his tenure in the Marine Corps, Hamilton became a Lafayette community leader. He served in Lafayette's city government from 1968-1972 and later founded the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Action Coalition.

As a longtime Veterans advocate, Hamilton played a crucial role in establishing the VA clinic in Lafayette, which opened in 2016. The road leading to the Lafayette VA Clinic was named in Hamilton's honor in 2017.