FACT CHECK

Fact Check: Sinema's support for veteran issues

Julia Shumway
The Republic | azcentral.com

WHO SAID IT: Kyrsten Sinema

OFFICE: U.S. House of Representatives for the Tempe-based 9th Congressional District

PARTY: Democrat

THE RACE: Arizona's 9th Congressional District

THE COMMENT: "In my time in Congress over the last two years, I've been at the forefront of working to stop veteran suicide. ... During my tenure in the state House and state Senate and now in Congress, I've put military families and veterans' issues at the forefront."

THE FORUM: "Politics Unplugged" on KTVK Channel 3

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT: Whether incumbent Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema has emphasized military and veterans' issues during her time in the state Legislature and Congress.

ANALYSIS: Veterans' issues have become a key point of debate in the race to represent the 9th Congressional District, which encompasses Tempe and Ahwatukee and parts of Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler and south Phoenix.

The Department of Veterans Affairs crisis first came to light in Phoenix, and both Sinema and Republican challenger Wendy Rogers have personal connections to veterans issues.

Sinema's older brother is a retired marine and her younger brother serves in the Navy. Rogers is a retired Air Force pilot.

The two clashed over veterans' issues earlier in the year, after Sinema released an ad highlighting the suicide of a constituent who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and didn't get help from the VA. Daniel Somers became a posthumous poster child for problems at the VA after his suicide letter went viral and his parents began campaigning for reform.

Rogers referred to the ad as "exploitative, offensive, and in poor taste."

Sinema, both in the ad and in other statements about her actions in Congress and the state Legislature, cited her brothers to explain why she takes veterans' issues personally.

Sinema served in the Arizona House for six years, including two as assistant minority leader. She was elected to the state Senate in 2010 and resigned in January 2012 to run for Congress.

During her seven years in the state Legislature, Sinema introduced more than 150 bills, but fewer than 10 had to do with veterans or military families. She proposed more bills on the death penalty, LGBTQA rights, comprehensive sex education and renewable energy.

In 2010, she authored a bill to give veterans automatic residency status for tuition purposes. It died in committee. She introduced an identical bill as a state senator the following year; the House version of this bill became law.

A 2011 bill she authored that became law clarified custody for parents on military deployment. It requires courts to expediently resolve any modifications to custody plans caused by deployment and take into account the deploying parent's military family-care plan, which designates a caretaker.

One bill that passed the state Senate but not the House in 2011 would have prevented spouses or minor children from being disqualified for unemployment benefits if they had to move with a military spouse or parent.

Sinema has placed a greater emphasis on veterans issues during her time in Congress.

In 2013, Sinema proposed four veteran-related bills that failed to gain committee approval. HR 1987 would have increased the amount the Department of Veterans Affairs could pay for funerals. HR 3053 would have extended the VA's ability to provide scholarships. HR 3187 was one of several bills proposed in the House and Senate to preserve military pay during the government shutdown. HR 3387 aimed to improve mental health care for veterans who had served on classified missions.

She proposed two more bills in 2014, both of which failed to gain committee approval. One, in response to the revelation that as dozens of veterans died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA, would have required the department to provide care at non-department facilities. Another would have limited the VA's ability to provide bonuses to employees.

Sinema has also been involved with veteran outreach away from Capitol Hill. She released a 27-page guide of veteran resources in her district and has hosted forums highlighting these resources.

BOTTOM LINE: Military and veteran issues make up a majority of the bills Sinema has proposed in Congress, as well as work she's done in her district. However, it's not accurate to say Sinema put military and veteran issues at the forefront during her time in the state Legislature when only a handful of the measures she proposed were related to veterans.

THE FINDING: Two stars, somewhat true, somewhat false

SOURCES:Press Release: Democrat Kyrsten Sinema airs shameful ad exploiting veteran's suicide; "Daniel," Sinema campaign ad; Sinema criticized for soliciting donations in VA plea, The Arizona Republic, May 7; House Bill 2398; House Concurrent Memorial 2015; Senate Bill 1224; Senate Bill 1283; Kyrsten Sinema's introduced bills; Congressional District 9 Veteran Resource Guide.