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BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on the amount of funding to help identify and provide services to Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.

Foreman Democratic Rep. Bill Amerman says the conference committee voted 6-0 on Monday to fund the program at $50,000 over the next two years. Both chambers still must approve the recommendation.

Democratic Sen. Richard Marcellais says there are about 15,000 Vietnam veterans living in North Dakota, and many of them may have been exposed to the jungle defoliant.

There are 8 Veteran Affairs clinics across North Dakota, but only one hospital, and it's all the way on the east side of the state.

Often times, it's too difficult for many of our vets to travel to Fargo, but now they're offering a more high-tech option.

Brittney Jacob is the Bismarck VA Clinic's TeleHealth technician, and helps around 3,800 patients meet with Fargo doctors through computers and cameras.

So rather than driving 3 hours every few months, they can make an appointment and connect with physicians in seconds.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter plans to push a series of proposals, including a 401(k)-style pension plan and incentives for cyber warriors, aimed at attracting and retaining troops with the skills needed to fight modern wars.

Carter, who took office last month, intends to move quickly to enact changes before the Obama administration leaves the White House in early 2017, according to a senior aide who was not authorized to speak publicly. Carter has identified building a new force capable of dealing with new threats and retaining top performers as a key priority.

We're still reminded to never forget those missing in action or any prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict, but there's one other issue that still stands out.

Senator Richard Marcellais has been wearing orange to bring awareness to the need for more funding for Vietnam veterans exposed to agent orange during the war. He says there are approximately 15,000 veterans of that war in North Dakota, including himself, who served there from 1968 to 1969.

The Senate passed two amendments to the Republican budget Tuesday aimed at helping veterans.

Senators passed by voice vote an amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that would create a deficit neutral fund to bolster the Veterans Affairs Department (VA), allow for the VA to hire additional mental health care workers and ensure veterans get timely access to care.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Trista Matascastillo remembers arriving at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center in 2010 for an exam and thinking the hospital didn't quite get the needs of female veterans.

The exam room, for instance, opened onto the patient waiting area, she said. She had to ask that the door be closed. It was a tiny detail, one Matascastillo said staff fixed quickly. But the 16-year veteran keeps the story close by now that she is part of an effort to help the center improve care for women.

By Kathleen Curthoys
Army Times
Published: February 27, 2015

By Drew Griffin, Curt Devine and Nelli Black, CNN Investigations updated 7:53 AM EST, Tue December 16, 2014

Washington (CNN) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs misled Congress and members of the media about how many veterans died or suffered serious harm as a result of extreme treatment delays, according to a new report by the department's top watchdog.

By Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran
October 31

Tens of thousands of soldiers who are discharged from the military each year are locked out of VA services.