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

Floor Speech

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Mr. BERGMAN.

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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, last year, the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa), my close friend and colleague, and I offered an amendment urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a large-scale study into psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat PTSD. I am happy to say that amendment was approved unanimously.

It was 6 months after this show of congressional support that the Veterans Administration announced that it would be funding significant research into psychedelic therapies for the first time in more than four decades.

While it is extremely promising that these treatments are coming, with FDA final approval expected sometime in August, one of the largest barriers to the initial implementation and future success is the availability of qualified and well-trained mental health professionals within VA.

Psychedelic-assisted therapies generally involve multiple therapists at a time and several multi-hour sessions to complete.

My amendment is simple. It expresses support for the recently announced VA-led research and encourages VA to prioritize the proactive training of therapists to successfully administer these new therapies.

As we saw last year, demonstrating clear congressional approval for these innovative efforts can motivate real action within the Federal bureaucracy. We owe it to our veterans to do everything we can in support of these breakthrough therapies.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, psychedelic-assisted therapies have the potential to be the first genuine advancement in the treatment of veterans' mental health in decades. It is essential that the VA continue their efforts to research these compounds and do everything they can to ensure that they have trained therapists and that those trained therapists are ready to meet the need to provide these new breakthrough treatments once they receive FDA approval.

Mr. Chair, again, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chair, this amendment would urge the Veterans Administration to make a decision on incorporating MDMA-assisted therapy into their formulary within 180 days of FDA approval. This is based on legislation by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), which the Committee on Veterans' Affairs approved last month.

As we speak, the FDA's Scientific Advisory Committee is meeting to evaluate the phase 3 studies into this therapy, and full approval will likely come in early August.

I have had the opportunity to personally meet with many of the researchers involved in this study and the veterans whose lives have been forever changed by these therapies. That experience made the potential of this treatment clear to me, and many of the veterans told me that they would not be alive today if it were not for this therapy.

Any bureaucratic red tape that delays potential formulary inclusion could cost the lives of veterans currently suffering from PTSD. This amendment does not push VA to make a decision one way or another. It merely calls for them to act quickly in making a formulary decision.

Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Chairman, I close by expressing my disappointment and frustration with the language that was included--or rather was not included in the committee's report accompanying this bill.

Despite strong support for useful and proactive language related to psychedelic therapies, including from members within the Appropriations Committee, the report only includes an indirect reference and encourages VA to monitor the results of privately funded research. It does not recognize the fact that VA is already pursuing their own research, and it takes no steps to prepare the VA for FDA approval, which may come in a couple of months.

Those who risk their lives in defense of our country deserve happy and fulfilling lives, and we have the responsibility to ensure that the VA is ready and able to assist them in this endeavor.

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

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