Dem congressman skipped VA hearing, attended fundraiser on same day

Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, skipped a key Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Committee hearing in 2012 on the same day he had a fundraiser, again raising questions about his commitment to veterans’ issues, Republicans say.

The GOP had already pounced on Braley for missing a hearing held by the full House VA Committee on Sept. 20, 2012, where lawmakers discussed long wait times for veterans’ mental health care, the backlog of disability claims, and the stewardship of VA funding. He also attended three fundraisers that day.

Government records show that Braley, this year’s Democratic Senate candidate in Iowa, also missed a VA hearing on Feb. 15, 2012. Then VA Secretary Eric Shinseki discussed the department’s 2013 budget request at the meeting. More