House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost has addressed a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, expressing concerns over the department's strategy in preventing veteran suicide and providing mental health support. In his letter, Bost emphasized the urgency of addressing what he described as an epidemic among veterans.
Bost noted that "our veteran community continues to battle an epidemic caused by the invisible wounds of their service in uniform." He highlighted that despite an increase in VA’s budget for mental health from $13.5 billion in 2022 to $17.1 billion in 2025, there were still 6,392 veteran suicides reported in 2021 according to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
He expressed frustration over ongoing issues such as reports of the Veterans Crisis Line not functioning properly and veterans being denied referrals for community care. "Committee members on both sides of the aisle have repeatedly begged your mental health leadership for change so that we can move the needle," Bost stated.
The chairman also referenced findings from VA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports highlighting failures within VA services that may have contributed to veteran suicides. One report from September 2024 detailed allegations regarding a veteran who died by suicide shortly after a VA appointment, with OIG substantiating claims including leadership and processing failures.
Bost called into question whether current leaders within VA’s Office of Mental Health and Office of Suicide Prevention are capable of handling these challenges effectively. He requested detailed information about mental health programs and performance reviews for senior executives within these offices.
In closing, Bost urged McDonough to provide answers and documents related to his inquiries by December 19, 2024, stressing the importance of transparency without alterations such as redactions or watermarks.
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