Press Releases

Yesterday, at a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) spoke with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins to underscore the importance of the Department’s ongoing research into psychedelic-assisted breakthrough therapies for Veterans living with service-connected conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. As co-chair of the Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus, Rep. Bergman has been a leading advocate for advancing research into these innovative treatments, and in December 2024 – following his sustained efforts – the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced $1.5 million in funding for MDMA-assisted therapy, marking the agency’s first investment in psychedelic-assisted treatment research in over six decades.

When asked by Rep. Bergman about the preliminary results of these studies, Secretary Collins noted, “What we’re seeing so far is positive. What we’re seeing so far in some of the studies that are related to VA and also outside of VA as well is that there has been – especially when it comes to [post-traumatic stress] and also traumatic brain injury and others – we’re seeing some actual positive outcomes there.”

During his remarks, Rep. Bergman also asked Secretary Collins about his efforts to improve the timeliness of Veteran benefits processing and reduce care wait times. Highlighting his CHOICE for Veterans Act, which was recently approved by the Committee, Rep. Bergman underscored the importance of expanding Veterans’ access to trusted, accredited representatives to help them more effectively navigate the claims system and access the care and benefits they’ve earned through their service to our Nation.