Ciscomani Questions VA Secretary Doug Collins about the Need to Strengthen Veteran Suicide Prevention Efforts and Prioritize Survivor’s Assistance within the VA
May 20, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani, who represents nearly 80,000 veterans in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, questioned Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins during an oversight hearing about the VA’s preliminary requested budget.
During the hearing, Ciscomani urged Secretary Collins to provide greater clarity about the status of Arizona’s Be Connected Program which aims to address suicide rates among Arizona’s veteran population.
Created in 2017, the Be Connected program finds ways for the VA to better partner with local stakeholders to prevent veteran suicide by providing resources, care, career navigation advice, connection coaching, financial assistance and more. This public-private partnership has been nationally recognized for its exceptional cross-sector collaboration and partnership to address the complex issue of suicide prevention.
The need for Be Connected arose after a troubling spike in veteran suicide rates between 2015-2016 following a scandal at the Phoenix VA, which was 3-4 times higher than the general population and nearly double the national rate for veterans. In his time in Congress, Ciscomani has repeatedly met with local stakeholders, his Veteran Advisory Council, the veteran community at large, and VA Secretaries from both the Biden and Trump administrations to find ways to reduce suicide rates and support our veterans. In January 2025, Ciscomani sent a letter to the VA advocating for the continued support of this critical program.
The congressman also praised Secretary Collins for moving the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) back within the Office of the VA Secretary, which is exactly what Ciscomani’s legislation, the Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act (H.R. 1228), did. This ensures that surviving families of veterans receive the benefits and support they were promised and provide them a direct line to the Secretary, so their needs and concerns are prioritized program-wide at the very top of the VA. This legislation previously passed the House of Representatives on April 9, 2025 with unanimous support.
You can find the congressman’s entire line of questioning here.
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Issues:
Veterans