[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – At a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing today to consider pending legislation, Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) pressed senior Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials on the findings of a recent New York Times article detailing the Trump Administration’s move to cancel medical research funding at Harvard University—including life-saving veteran suicide research.

“This article shows there are multiple contracts between VA and Harvard University that are planned to be cancelled, including contracts involving VA suicide prevention efforts and contracts ensuring veterans have adequate access to clinical trials. VA officials are quoted in the article saying that cancelling these contracts would result in ‘more veteran suicides that could have been prevented.’ They’re raising alarm and pleading with VA leadership not to cancel these highly critical contracts. Are you aware of this situation?” asked Blumenthal.

When the VA official did not answer his question, Blumenthal continued pressing: “Well those research contracts are important to prevent veteran suicide, are they not?...Veterans may be dying as a result of these contracts being cancelled.”

During the hearing, Blumenthal underscored the overall lack of transparency from Secretary Collins and the Trump Administration. He detailed Collins’ refusal to provide information to Congress on his planned firings and cancelled contracts as the reason behind his hold on VA political nominees: “…[W]e have been asking the VA about these contracts, including the Harvard contract, for more than a month. And we have received no response. So when people come to me and they say, ‘why are you holding these nominations?’ And I say, ‘it’s because the VA is denying us essential information that is necessary for our oversight, and we want accountability.’ Here’s exhibit A: saving lives. The VA has no more foundational and essential purpose than stopping veteran suicide. And it has denied us and refused to provide us information—purposefully—it can’t be an accident, but purposefully…So when you take this message back…you should make clear here’s the reason why we’re putting a hold on these nominees, and why we’re extremely disappointed…with the response so far.”

Blumenthal concluded by emphasizing his concerns with considering future pending legislation, while laws currently being implemented remain in jeopardy with the pause in rulemaking and Collins’ plans to cut 83,000 VA employees: “We have no idea when, if ever, we will have the VA lift its freeze on rulemaking. Remember rulemaking is important to legislation…Here we are talking about new laws. Laws are dead letter if there’s no rules and regulations. Laws are also dead letter if there’s no workforce to implement them. If people can’t enforce them, or carry them out—they have no meaning…It’s the stated goal of the VA Secretary to cut 83,000 VA employees who are important to carry out those laws. The laws we passed already—the PACT Act and the Elizabeth Dole Act…They are going to be dead letter if we don’t provide the resources for them to be implemented, and if the slash and trash approach is carried forward.”

The full text of Blumenthal’s questioning is copied below and a video link is available here.

Senator Blumenthal: Before I begin, I want to ask consent to enter into the record a recent New York Times article entitled “Trump’s Push to Defend Harvard Prompts Clash Over Veteran Suicide Research.” This article, I don’t know whether you’re familiar with it Dr. O’Toole, shows that there are multiple contracts between the VA and Harvard University that are planned to be cancelled. Including contracts involving VA suicide prevention efforts and contracts ensuring veterans have adequate access to clinical trials. VA officials are quoted in the article saying that cancelling these contracts would result in “more veteran suicides that could have been prevented.” They’re raising the alarm and pleading with VA leadership not to cancel these highly critical contracts. Dr. O’Toole, are you aware of this situation?

Dr. Thomas O’Toole: I have seen the article, sir, and I’ve heard, obviously I’ve heard it as you have as well, of these concerns. I would have to take for the record any specifics on the status of those deliberations.

Blumenthal: Well those contracts are important to prevent veteran suicide, are they not?

Dr. O’Toole: Absolutely, sir. I’m not, by any means, disputing the nature of the research nor the importance of it.

Blumenthal: Do you agree with their cancellation?

Dr. O’Toole: Sir I’m not here to discuss the specifics. I’m not prepared to discuss that from a Departmental perspective but happy to take for the record what the status of those considerations are. 

Blumenthal: Well I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but veterans may be dying as a result of these contracts being cancelled. You’ve been involved in the VA for some time. I’m disappointed that you won’t express perhaps a more critical view of what is happening here.

Dr. O’Toole: Well, thank you, sir. As somebody who has done research in the VA I can fully appreciate that. I just do not want to get ahead of my skis here and speak for the Department on this, so I do need to take it for the record. 

Blumenthal: Well you’re here on behalf of the VA. And I’m just going to be really direct. We have been asking the VA about these contracts, including the Harvard contracts, for more than a month and we have received no response. So, when people come to me and say, “Why are you holding these nominations?” And I say, “It’s because the VA is denying us essential information that is necessary for our oversight and we want accountability.” Here’s exhibit A: saving lives. The VA has a no more foundational and essential purpose than stopping veteran suicide, and it has denied us and refused to provide information. Purposefully. It can’t be an accident. But purposefully. And I know you’re on the receiving line of this complaint, and make no mistake, I know you’re not the one responsible. So, when you take this message back, and you get back to us, and I’m not going to berate you further, you should make clear that here’s the reason why we are putting a hold on these nominees and why we are extremely disappointed, I’ll put it euphemistically, with the response so far. And just so that we also understand why we’re here today: a lot of great legislation. The [CHAMPVA] Children’s Care Protection Act, other measures that are important to advance the authority of the VA. We still don’t know the number of fired VA employees, as well as the cancelled VA contracts. We have no idea when, if ever, we will have the VA lift its freeze on rule-making. Remember rule-making is important to legislation. Legislation cannot be implemented until the rules are in place. And we have no idea when that freeze will be lifted so laws can be implemented. Here we are talking about new laws; laws are dead letter if there are no rules and regulation. Laws are also dead letter if there is no workforce to implement them. If people can’t enforce them and carry them out, they have no meaning. And the VA is planning, it’s the stated goal of the VA Secretary, to cut 83,000 employees who are important to carrying out those laws. So, the laws we’ve passed already, the PACT Act and the Elizabeth Dole Act, great bipartisan measures, they’re going to be dead letter if we don’t provide the resources for them to be implemented and if the slash and trash approach is carried forward. My time has expired. Mr. Chairman, thank you.