"She stood by our National Guard and Reserve and kept standing till they received health care they deserved."
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A new TV ad airing in Iowa and New Hampshire says that Hillary Clinton "stood by our National Guard and Reserve and kept standing till they received health care they deserved."
The record indicates that Clinton has been an advocate for expanded health benefits for National Guard and Reserve members.
In 2005, she was one of 23 co-sponsors for legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that would allow reserve troops to enroll in Tricare, a Defense Department managed health care program. (Statements on Clinton's Web site don't mention that she was one of many co-sponsors.)
The legislation didn't pass, but much of its substance was adopted in the 2007 defense authorization bill.
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The tone of her ad suggests she was a key player in the passage of the bill, but the record indicates that Graham took the lead in the effort, and she was one of several supporters. So while it's fair for her to say she was an advocate for expanded benefits for Guard and Reserve members, the statement would be more accurate if it indicated she was one of many.
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Our Sources
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007.
Air Force Times, "Breaking down your benefits; '07 authorization bill expands health care, insurance coverage in lieu of big pay hike," Oct. 16, 2006.
Hillary Clinton Senate Web site, Senators Graham and Clinton Announce Congressional Panel Backs New Improvements to TRICARE Benefits for National Guard Members and Reservists
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