Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. MAST. Madam Chair, the argument here against privatized housing for people in the military is if you allow somebody to put their private dollars into it, then down the road it may turn into what the government has allowed the housing to turn into, which would be terrible. We shouldn't let a private entity oversee the housing because it may turn into what the government has allowed housing to be for our servicemembers.

That argument holds no water, makes absolutely no sense, and I would put my money on the private entities taking better care of their investment than how the government takes care of an investment that is paid for by the ambiguous tax dollars of people across the country any day of the week.
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Mr. MAST. Mr. Chair, I rise today to discuss this bipartisan amendment to ensure that veterans have access to every tool possible when it comes to healing from both the visible and the invisible wounds of war and service. That could be trouble sleeping. It could be physical pain. It could be some disease that you get from something you were exposed to in war, a cancer that you contracted. It could be an addiction. It could just be finding peace in your life. That tool that we are specifically speaking about today is cannabis.

My proposed amendment, I believe, is common sense. It allows doctors in the VA, those who deal with veterans, to give advice to their veteran patients. That seems simple enough, but under the status quo, VA doctors are limited in essential treatment options that they can offer to their patients, treatments that patients who are not veterans can readily access in many States.

This amendment would allow doctors to discuss cannabis as a treatment option with their patients. It would allow doctors to help those patients fill out paperwork that authorizes medical use of cannabis. It would allow those doctors to help weigh cannabis when choosing whether other medical options may be the best fit for that individual veteran.

When I woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center after being injured in Afghanistan, I was on a laundry list of medications. It was a shock to me. I was on sleep sedatives, antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, and probably half a dozen different, very serious narcotic painkillers. When I woke up and became aware of all of this, I quit those things cold turkey. I was lucky that I was able to do that. Most veterans that I have encountered were not able to do that. Many, unfortunately, suffered addiction afterwards.

A few years ago, I met a former member of Navy SEAL Team 6. He was in a helicopter crash that resulted in catastrophic injuries. After countless surgeries, he found himself addicted to opioids that he was prescribed for sleep and pain management. He was never given an alternative to those drugs, and, ultimately, it was cannabis for him that allowed him to break free of that addiction and manage his pain without opioids. However, he has never been able to discuss cannabis with his doctor at the VA for fear of repercussions. He couldn't talk to his doctor about it.

His story isn't unique. There are tens of thousands of veterans for whom cannabis may be a better alternative if they could discuss it.

According to a survey in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 50 percent of veterans who use cannabis said that they used it in place of prescription medication, but they are forced to hide their use and self-medicate because VA physicians are hamstrung from discussing it as a viable option.

Beyond the veteran population, the Nation is turning the page on how we think about cannabis. It has become a key part of the medical system in more than 30 States. It offers law-abiding Americans a low-cost and safe option.

I say we should not keep those who fought for our country from accessing what is proven to be a critical tool for pain management. It is time for change. Veterans deserve to have access to every possible tool and the best medical options available and the best possible medical advice by their doctors.

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Mr. MAST. Mr. Chair, I will add a little bit to what he just said.

He is absolutely correct, my colleague, in saying that there was a time when veterans were handed opioids in bags. They were given recurring prescriptions. There was a time that I had drawers full of OxyContin just because the prescription kept getting refilled. I literally never used one, but they kept giving me more and more. At the same time, you are not allowed to discuss cannabis with your doctor, not do the paperwork with your doctor, not be able to find out if it is the best option or the worst option but really not be able to be benefited by your doctor and the advice they could offer on this. As we both said, it is definitely time to turn the page on this issue. I thank my colleague for his work on this issue, as well.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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