⚡NIMITZ NEWS FLASH⚡

Hearing on “Advancing the Mission: Evaluating the Future of VA Research"

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

June 22, 2026 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel One):

• Mark Zhang, MD: Acting Executive Director, Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• La’Toya Prieur, MBA: Chief Human Capital Management, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• Michael Kelley, MD: Executive Director, National Oncology Program, Office of Specialty Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel Two):

• Gina B. Carithers: President and CEO, Prostate Cancer Foundation

• Glenn D. Graham, MD, PhD, FAAN, FANA: Founding President, Association of VA Neurology Services (AVANS), Executive Director, Neurology Clinical Programs, VHA (Retired), Professor of Neurology, UCSF

QUICK SUMMARY

• Senators from both parties praised VA's century-long research enterprise while debating whether proposed budget reductions, staffing challenges, and workforce policies could undermine its ability to sustain innovation and attract top researchers.

• Members examined VA's hiring process for researchers, with witnesses discussing the department's new 30-day hiring initiative, the effects of attrition, and concerns that lengthy hiring timelines and workforce instability could hamper research and veteran care.

• Senators highlighted emerging research priorities, including women's health, traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention, toxic exposures, artificial intelligence, and psychedelic-assisted therapies for PTSD, while emphasizing the need to rapidly translate promising research into clinical care for veterans.

• Witnesses and senators strongly supported expanding the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate (POPCaP), citing its success in improving veterans' access to genetic testing, targeted therapies, and clinical trials, while also raising concerns about declining prostate cancer screening rates.

• During the hearing's closing discussion, senators also briefly addressed the Take Care of America's Veterans Act, reaffirming bipartisan support for its underlying provisions while continuing to debate alternative funding mechanisms for the Major Richard Star Act and other priorities.

PARTY LINE PERSPECTIVES

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) opened the hearing by highlighting the Department of Veterans Affairs' century-long legacy of medical research and its contributions to both veteran and civilian healthcare. He emphasized breakthroughs such as the cardiac pacemaker, the Gleason score for prostate cancer, and the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate, which has expanded access to advanced cancer treatments, including for veterans in rural communities. He expressed support for legislation to protect the program's funding and infrastructure so veterans could continue receiving world-class, personalized cancer care. He concluded by stating that he looked forward to hearing how Congress could strengthen and sustain VA's research enterprise.

• Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) praised VA's long history of scientific innovation but argued that recent actions by the Trump administration had disrupted the department's research enterprise through hiring freezes, staffing caps, funding instability, and administrative delays. She cited several examples of postponed or canceled clinical trials, staffing shortages, and reduced federal research funding that she said had undermined veterans' access to cutting-edge medical research. She also criticized the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget reductions for VA research and raised concerns about political appointees reviewing federal research grants. She urged the department to restore trust with researchers and called on Congress to defend scientific research and ensure veterans continued benefiting from a strong VA research program.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL ONE)

• Dr. Mark Zhang testified that VA's research mission remained focused on improving veterans' health through targeted, mission-driven research with strong oversight and accountability. He highlighted the administration's fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, investments in toxic exposure research, precision oncology, the Million Veteran Program, and expanded access to clinical trials across the VA healthcare system. He also described ongoing research into mental health, psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD, traumatic brain injury, toxic exposures, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine as examples of efforts designed to deliver measurable clinical benefits for veterans. He concluded by reaffirming VA's commitment to maintaining a veteran-centered research enterprise while expanding access to innovative treatments and translating research findings into improved clinical care.

• Chairman Moran asked about reports that hiring research personnel at VA often took five to six months and asked whether researchers were included in the department's new 30-day hiring initiative. Ms. Prieur responded that researchers were included in the initiative, which launched nationally in July, and said the average hiring time for researchers was 77 days, although that was slightly longer than the previous fiscal year.

• Chairman Moran also questioned how VA planned to sustain priority research areas, including suicide prevention, precision oncology, and traumatic brain injury, despite proposed budget reductions. Dr. Zhang said the funding changes reflected contract attrition rather than program cuts and explained that VA prioritized research through "actively managed portfolios" focused on accelerating areas with the greatest potential benefit for veterans.

• Sen. Murray focused on research addressing the healthcare needs of women veterans, particularly menopause, PTSD, and military sexual trauma, and asked Dr. Zhang to identify the largest knowledge gaps in the field. Dr. Zhang acknowledged the growing importance of women's health research, committed to providing additional information for the record, and said VA continued to invest approximately $40 million annually in women's health research.

• Sen. Murray also pressed on the impact of the administration's proposed research funding reductions, questioning which research areas would face cuts, and expressed concern that staffing reductions and a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule allowing political appointees to review research grants could undermine scientific independence. Dr. Zhang maintained that the proposed budget reflected personnel attrition rather than program reductions and said VA would seek to preserve its highest-priority research initiatives.

• Sen. Sheehy asked about VA's research into MDMA-assisted therapy and other psychedelic treatments for PTSD and substance use disorders, expressing support for rapidly developing new treatment options for veterans. Dr. Zhang said VA was committed to advancing rigorous research in emerging therapies and had established an integrated team to prepare for implementation if the treatments ultimately proved safe and effective.

• Sen. Sheehy emphasized the importance of planning now for workforce training, logistics, and the use of community care providers so veterans could access these therapies quickly following regulatory approval. Dr. Zhang agreed that accelerating the translation of research into clinical care was a central goal of VA's research enterprise.

• Sen. Boozman asked how VA had used congressional funding appropriated to expand the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate (POPCaP). Dr. Kelly explained that VA had expanded the initiative through the Cancer Clinical and Research Network, using successful elements from its lung precision oncology program to broaden access to molecular testing and prostate cancer research at more than 100 VA facilities.

• Sen. Boozman also sought assurance that the $5 million appropriated by Congress had been used consistent with congressional intent, and Dr. Kelly stated that the funding had supported prostate cancer research and expansion efforts as directed.

• Sen. Blackburn highlighted successful partnerships between the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System and Vanderbilt University and asked how VA planned to expand similar collaborations with academic medical centers and establish additional centers of excellence. Dr. Zhang emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships with universities, integrating research, education, innovation, and clinical care, and building a stronger pipeline for future VA clinicians and researchers.

• Sen. Blackburn also questioned Ms. Prieur about VA's workforce, requesting information on union employees, in-person staffing, and customer service, while stressing that veterans should remain the department's primary focus. Ms. Prieur agreed to provide the requested workforce data for the record.

• Sen. King questioned the proposed reduction in VA research funding, arguing that inflation effectively increased the magnitude of the cuts, and asked how staffing levels and research capacity had changed following the administration's hiring freeze. Dr. Zhang and Ms. Prieur said the proposed reductions reflected personnel attrition rather than program eliminations, confirmed that the hiring freeze had ended, and agreed to provide additional staffing data for the record.

• Sen. King also asked about VA's relationship with the National Institutes of Health and whether research involving women veterans or minority veterans could be affected by the administration's efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Dr. Zhang responded that women's health research remained a priority, emphasized that VA served all veterans, and agreed to provide additional information regarding any research projects potentially affected by DEI-related reviews.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL TWO)

• Dr. Glenn Graham testified that VA research had produced decades of groundbreaking medical advances that benefited both veterans and the broader public, while also strengthening VA's ability to recruit specialists, train future clinicians, and deliver high-quality care. He warned that proposed reductions in research funding, staffing shortages, lengthy hiring timelines, and changes to VA's workplace culture could undermine the department's research mission and make it more difficult to attract and retain physician-scientists. He also expressed concern that expanding care into the community could reduce veterans' participation in VA clinical research and weaken the integrated research environment that had driven many of VA's historic successes. He concluded by urging Congress to continue providing strong funding and policy support for VA research, arguing that the department's research, education, clinical care, and emergency preparedness missions were closely interconnected and depended on one another.

• Ms. Gina Carithers described the Prostate Cancer Foundation's longstanding partnership with VA and emphasized that prostate cancer remained the most common cancer affecting veterans, with approximately 200,000 veterans living with the disease and 15,000 new VA patients each year. She explained that the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate (POPCaP) used genetic testing to match veterans with targeted therapies and clinical trials, significantly improving access to precision medicine and producing dozens of clinical trials and hundreds of peer-reviewed publications. She highlighted evidence that veterans treated through POPCaP centers of excellence were substantially more likely to receive precision testing and personalized care, sharing the story of a veteran whose life was extended through genetically targeted treatment. She urged Congress to enact the POPCaP Authorization Act of 2026 to permanently establish and expand the program, ensuring veterans nationwide had access to specialized prostate cancer care, research opportunities, and the latest medical advances.

• Chairman Moran asked Ms. Carithers to reflect on the original vision behind the Prostate Cancer Foundation's partnership with VA and whether that vision had been realized. Ms. Carithers said the partnership had successfully brought cutting-edge precision medicine and clinical research to veterans with advanced prostate cancer and praised VA's role in building sustainable research programs and clinical careers.

• Chairman Moran also questioned the decline in prostate cancer screening and the use of shared decision-making for PSA testing, with Ms. Carithers arguing that reduced screening had contributed to more veterans being diagnosed with advanced disease and emphasizing the value of early detection.

• Chairman Moran concluded by asking Dr. Graham about physician recruitment, and Dr. Graham explained that lower salaries, particularly for early-career physicians burdened by educational debt, made it more difficult for VA to compete for talent.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal questioned Dr. Graham about morale within VA's research workforce, expressing concern about staffing reductions and the administration's research policies. Dr. Graham testified that hiring delays, staff attrition, increased clinical demands, and fears surrounding reductions in force had significantly damaged morale, created anxiety among employees, and threatened VA's culture of safety and innovation.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal also asked whether proposed reductions in VA research funding were justified, and Dr. Graham argued that the cuts came at an especially harmful time given broader uncertainty surrounding federal research funding.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal then asked whether such reductions would affect precision oncology research, and Ms. Carithers responded that across-the-board cuts would directly harm prostate cancer research and veterans' access to lifesaving advances.

• Sen. King questioned the witnesses about routine prostate cancer screening within VA and expressed concern that veterans were not receiving regular PSA testing. Ms. Carithers argued that early PSA screening dramatically improved survival outcomes and said diagnosing prostate cancer before it spread offered the greatest opportunity for cure.

• Sen. King also asked about declining workforce morale and physician recruitment, and Dr. Graham responded that many qualified physicians had begun declining VA job offers because of uncertainty, staffing challenges, and concerns about the agency's work environment. Sen. King concluded that maintaining a strong workforce was essential to ensuring veterans received high-quality care.

• Chairman Moran invited the witnesses to offer any additional observations. Dr. Graham warned that weakening VA's research enterprise could jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in outside research funding from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and reduce veterans' opportunities to participate in clinical trials, particularly as more care shifted into community settings. Chairman Moran agreed that VA needed to improve outreach so veterans receiving community care remained aware of research opportunities and asked how that gap could be addressed. Dr. Graham responded that significantly greater outreach to veterans receiving community care would be necessary to preserve access to VA research.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal used his closing remarks to reaffirm his support for much of the Take Care of America's Veterans Act while advocating for replacing the bill's current offset with unobligated Department of Defense funding to finance the Major Richard Star Act. He argued that using defense funding would avoid future reductions to disability compensation for veterans with sleep apnea and tinnitus while preserving the remainder of the legislative package. He emphasized that his proposal left the rest of the bill intact and expressed optimism that bipartisan negotiations could produce a final agreement.

• Chairman Moran responded that he shared Ranking Member Blumenthal's goal of enacting the Major Richard Star Act and the broader Take Care of America's Veterans Act but stressed that Congress must identify an offset that complied with existing PAYGO requirements. He noted that previous attempts to enact the legislation had repeatedly stalled because acceptable offsets had not been identified and said he remained focused on finding a solution that could become law rather than continuing unsuccessful proposals. He concluded by expressing his commitment to advancing the bipartisan package so veterans could receive its long-awaited benefits while they were still able to use them.

SPECIAL TOPICS

JOIN THE NIMITZ NETWORK!

Enjoying our updates? Don’t keep it to yourself — forward this email to friends or colleagues who’d love to stay informed. They can subscribe here to become part of our growing community.