we must continue to match progress with resources
Continue to pursue funding and resources for VA suicide prevention and treatment programs, including outreach to at-risk veterans.
Occurrences
The BEACON Act ... supports ... Veteran and family outreach ... improve mental health recovery, reduce suicide risk, and strengthen long-term health outcomes for Veterans.
We will continue to work in lockstep with the Trump administration to combat veteran suicide and think outside the box to get veterans the support they need.
Evidence
Rep. Bergman highlighted VA suicide prevention efforts and said he led a bipartisan request in March signed by 29 Members urging full funding for VA suicide prevention and treatment programs in FY27 MilCon-VA, including $713.4 million for suicide prevention outreach. He said the committee then released a bill/report providing $3.67 billion total, with $726.7 million directed toward outreach efforts. The release says Bergman and others “fought for the resources, and delivered even more support than requested to help save Veterans’ lives.”
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee statement says Bergman joined in applauding VA Secretary Doug Collins’ announcement that VA will offer $112 million in 2026 grants through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. It says the program provides grant funding for mental health organizations nationwide and that Bergman and House Republicans championed its creation in 2020. The statement adds the Fox Grants have expanded VA mental health and suicide prevention support services to thousands of veterans, servicemembers, and families.
Bergman introduced legislation to strengthen VA care for veterans with traumatic brain injuries. The release says the bill supports clinical studies, clinician training, veteran and family outreach, and partnerships between community providers, academic institutions, and the VA. It also frames the legislation as improving mental health recovery and suicide prevention.
Bergman co-introduced a bipartisan bill to launch a formal review of federal mental health programs for veterans and transitioning servicemembers, citing concerns about accessibility and outreach. The release notes partnership language about improving VA leaders’ outreach and rural logistics efforts.
Rep. Bergman said he led a bipartisan request signed by 29 Members seeking full FY27 funding for VA suicide prevention and treatment programs, including $713.4 million for suicide prevention outreach. He said the House Appropriations Committee bill/report provided $3.67 billion for VA suicide prevention and treatment, including $726.7 million for outreach.
The House Appropriations report for H.R.3944 states that the committee provided $16.38 billion for mental health programs, including $3.161 billion for suicide prevention and treatment programs and $698 million for suicide prevention outreach. It also directs VA to report on all suicide outreach and treatment spending.
Congress.gov records House Roll Call Vote 182 on H.R.3944, with the bill passing 218-206. The vote table lists Jack Bergman, Republican of Michigan, voting Yea.
Congress.gov lists H.R.3944 as having passed the House on June 25, 2025 and the Senate on August 1, 2025, with the latest action showing resolving differences after the House requested a conference. The bill had not reached the 'became law' stage on the cited status page.
VA announced a $112 million grant opportunity through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program for organizations providing suicide prevention services to veterans nationwide. VA said the grants help connect veterans, service members, and families, especially those not yet engaged with VA, to services that reduce suicide risk.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said Bergman joined Chairman Bost in applauding VA’s $112 million 2026 Fox Grant Program opportunity. The statement says Bergman and House Republicans championed creation of the program in 2020 and that the grants expand VA mental health and suicide prevention support services.
VA’s program page says FY2027 Fox Grant applications were open from April 13 to June 12, 2026, with awards expected in September 2026. It describes the program as expanding suicide prevention beyond clinical settings and lists services such as outreach to identify at-risk veterans, mental health screening, emergency clinical services, case management, and peer support.
Bergman announced bipartisan BEACON Act legislation to create VA grant programs for non-pharmacological TBI treatments. The release says the bill would support clinical studies, clinician training, veteran and family outreach, and partnerships, and that the programs aim to improve mental health recovery and reduce suicide risk.
Bergman co-introduced the Improving Mental Health Support for Servicemembers and Veterans Act, which would require a formal review of federal mental health programs for veterans and transitioning servicemembers. The release says the bill targets access gaps, outreach, rural logistics, staffing, coordination, and reporting to Congress.
VA reported record levels for suicide risk screening and follow-up evaluations as of March 2026: 88% of veterans receiving VA care completed annual suicide risk screening and 96% of at-risk veterans completed a comprehensive follow-up evaluation and support plan within 24 hours. VA also said it increased efforts to reach unenrolled veterans.
Assessments
The promise was framed as continuing to pursue VA suicide prevention and treatment funding/resources, including outreach to at-risk veterans, not necessarily single-handedly enacting a final appropriations law. In the same federal term, Bergman led a bipartisan FY2027 funding request for VA suicide prevention and outreach, backed House appropriations language with substantial suicide prevention, treatment, and outreach funding, voted for the appropriations vehicle, and advanced related veterans mental health and outreach legislation. Final enacted appropriations are not fully shown, but the promised action of continued pursuit is well supported.
Bergman has materially advanced the goal in the current term through bipartisan appropriations advocacy, committee work, and legislation tied to VA suicide prevention, treatment, and outreach. The evidence shows funding and grant support moving forward, but not clear proof that the full promised level of resources and outreach was comprehensively secured or that the broader objective is fully complete.
The promise was to continue pursuing funding and resources for VA suicide prevention and treatment programs, including outreach to at-risk veterans. The evidence shows Bergman actively did that in the same term: he led a bipartisan appropriations request for full funding, highlighted committee funding levels that included increased outreach dollars, supported continued Fox Grant Program funding, and introduced or co-introduced related mental-health and treatment legislation. However, the record provided is stronger on advocacy and partial program support than on personally securing a clearly completed, attributable end-state for the full promise across all requested funding and resources. Because he demonstrably pursued the goal and helped advance resources, but the evidence does not definitively establish full delivery solely attributable to him, partial credit is the best fit.