Reform the VA? Ann Kirkpatrick’s all talk

Despite a scandal at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs hospital that harmed untold Arizona veterans, Ann Kirkpatrick unbelievably voted against the annual appropriations bill that funds and reforms the VA, putting at risk the health of our veterans and their families.

Arizona’s 1^st District is home to more than 60,000 veterans and has 5 full service VA centers.

Kirkpatrick voted against more than $68 billion – a 6% increase from last year – in funding for VA Health Care Programs, VA medical centers like the Flagstaff and Casa Grande Community Based Outpatient Clinics, Disability payments, and other vital services.

Additionally, Kirkpatrick voted against funding the vital reforms intended to address the dire mismanagement of the VA that came to light last year, including increasing oversight at the VA, tracking regional VA offices’ performance, and providing funding to clear the VA’s claims backlog.

This is just the latest example in Ann Kirkpatrick’s hard left turn after her reelection in November, and this time it is 1^st District veterans and their families who are paying the price.

NRCC Comment: “It is reprehensible for Ann Kirkpatrick to play politics with the health and wellbeing of our nations’ veterans. Kirkpatrick has put her ideology before the needs of the men and women who have risked everything for their country, and 1^st District veterans and their families deserve better.” – NRCC Spokesman Zach Hunter