Issues

Veteran Issues

Written in February 2024.

Veterans’ benefits is a sensitive subject for me. As I see the VA implement more and more bureaucratic process to provide care, I also see incredibly easier and more affordable ways to provide time-critical care to veterans who need it most.

We are facing a younger veteran now that Biden surrendered to the Taliban. Many of the veterans in Utah have a full-time job or children. The VA implements Community Care requirements that put additional burdens on these younger veterans. When a veteran who has a family and may work full time is still required to travel to the Salt Lake City VA because they live within 60 miles of the SLC VA — or because there is a three-month-or-more wait time — something is wrong. There have to be policy changes that account for the unique circumstances of veterans. Cutting the bureaucracy will help eliminate the wait times and help ensure veterans get the care they need.

Mental-health treatment for veterans

There are several areas of advanced care that have substantial medical studies behind them and are just not being considered by the VA. One notable area is Ketamine or MDMA treatment for veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, or anxiety. If we are seeing significant results from limited studies, more pilot programs or wider utilization of these treatments can be provided to veterans who need them. We should be fast-tracking the care of veterans who are suffering from severe cases of PTSD or depression.

A study released in 2022 indicated that approximately 22 to 44 veterans commit suicide every day. We have had approximately 7,000 U.S. military personnel die in conflicts since 9/11 — and 30,000 have taken their life by suicide. We must think about mental health differently and use innovative solutions that can do better for those who serve.

Accountability through the power of the purse

Reform and accountability by Congress comes through the power of the purse. Congress must stop passing continuing resolutions and instead pass appropriation bills that force reform in our federal agencies. We do not need another Continuing Resolution — we need Continuing Accountability.

We have to take care of our veterans. This needs to be addressed, and I will make it a priority in my work as Utah’s Senator.

Data sources

The claims on this page draw from the VA’s own published reports. Honest live tracking of veteran-specific suicide data isn’t available through a public API (the VA’s catalog portal is federated and most useful suicide datasets there are synthetic or stale), so we cite the authoritative annual report directly: