Keep America a Leader in Medical Innovation - Fund VA Research

I am writing to urge you to protect and fully fund the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) research programs. The VA’s research arm is a cornerstone of American medical innovation, delivering breakthroughs that benefit not only veterans but the broader public. It plays a unique role by conducting essential studies that private industry often avoids—especially when those studies don’t promise high profits or could expose problems with commercial products. The VA has led critical advancements in areas like prosthetics, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain. Its Cooperative Studies Program has produced large-scale clinical trials that have shaped medical treatment across the country. Unlike private companies, VA researchers focus on real-world patient outcomes, especially in populations with complex health needs—work that has direct benefit to both veterans and civilians. Importantly, VA research is free from many of the conflicts of interest that can influence drug and device trials funded by industry. It fills the gaps that profit-driven research leaves behind. When the VA studies the effectiveness of treatments, it does so with transparency and the public interest at heart—not with a marketing goal in mind. I urge you to continue funding the VA’s research programs at full strength. This is not only a promise kept to veterans but a vital investment in our country’s health, science, and leadership in the world.