Bruce Braley, the Democratic congressman from Iowa running for the U.S. Senate, was not listed as present at a February 2012 House hearing with then-Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki. On February 15, 2012, Shinseki appeared on a panel before the House Veterans’ Affairs committee, which began at 10:30 a.m. The secretary’s testimony focused on the VA Department’s budget, although one panelist raised concerns about long wait times at VA hospitals. Braley, who sits on the committee, was not present at the time the roll was taken at the hearing, and according to the transcript never asked a question or gave a statement.
The Iowa congressman was in Washington that day, however. Earlier that morning, Braley was just blocks from the U.S. Capitol attending a Democratic fundraiser hosted by several union-affiliated PACs, including the PACs of AFSCME, IBEW, the carpenters’ union, and the machinists’ union. The fundraiser was scheduled to run from 8:30 to 9:30 that morning and was held at the headquarters of the machinists’ union.
A flyer for the event suggested contributions of $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000. The flyer also listed Braley as the headliner, and includes his membership on the Veterans’ Affairs committee. Check it out below:
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In the 2011-2012 period, Braley missed 75 percent of veterans’ affairs committee hearings, the Des Moines Register reported earlier this year. One of those hearings, in September 2012, focused on the backlog of wait times at VA hospitals; on that day, Braley attended three different fundraisers.
Braley is running against Republican state senator Joni Ernst for the Senate seat held by retiring Democrat Tom Harkin. The race is considered a toss-up.
