oday, Congresswoman Sinema's office will host the second meeting of the working group she convened last Thursday to coordinate delivery of immediate services to veterans were failed by the Phoenix VA. Last week, more than 30 leaders representing local community providers, veterans service organizations, Phoenix VA representatives, and other stakeholders convened to coordinate care for veterans still waiting for treatment at the Phoenix VA. Prior to today's meeting Congresswoman Sinema released the following statement: "I'm proud that several steps we called for to address the failures at the Phoenix VA are being implemented and that we have brought decision makers from community providers and veteran service organizations to the table to take immediate action to serve our veterans. "We're working to broaden the VA's use of existing and new community partnerships, a step essential to both reforming the VA system and providing immediate care to veterans failed by the Phoenix VA. I will continue to work until our veterans have access to both short-term and long-term care, and all Arizona veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned."

Press Release

Today the Senate passed bipartisan legislation authored by Senators John McCain and Bernie Sanders to address the serious problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Yesterday the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed its own bipartisan legislation (H.R. 4810), cosponsored by Congresswoman Sinema, to improve access to care for veterans. Sinema released the following statement after passage of the Senate bill:

"I applaud Senators McCain and Sanders for working in a bipartisan way to pass this bill to help fix the problems at the VA. Yesterday the House passed a bill that will get veterans in Arizona faster access to the care they have earned and deserve. I call on the leadership in both the House and the Senate to appoint a conference committee and to get a bipartisan solution to the President. Veterans in Arizona cannot wait."

The Senate bill funds construction of new medical facilities and increases to use of non-VA providers to deliver care to veterans if the veteran does not live near a VA medical facility. The House bill cuts wait times at VA medical facilities by expanding the VA's use of community providers.

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