To put the significance of this statutory language into context, the FY24 NDAA (which Congress passed and President Biden signed into law last December) authorized historic funding for DOD research on a number of emerging therapies, including psychedelics and MDMA-AT. This VA appropriations bill doubles down on the pace and direction of federal funding, that will be funneled into our federal agencies to help combat PTSD and bring our Veteran suicide epidemic to an end.

Bottom line: MDMA-AT will now be studied at both the DoD and VA, thanks to bipartisan support in Congress. This is huge, historic news - the first time Congress has ever directed the VA to go after precisely what we've been advocating for!

"As the first available emerging therapy with the potential to heal Veterans of PTSD, Congress' decision to direct $20M to MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) research at the VA is a significant first step towards meaningfully reducing the Veteran suicide rate. Healing Breakthrough's next focus will be on ensuring that the VA has the resources it needs in order to scale and deliver MDMA-AT, so that we can save and restore millions of lives in the near to mid term,” said Juliana Mercer, HB’s Director of Advocacy and Public Policy.

To commemorate this victory and exciting progress, Healing Breakthrough hosted a reception in Washington D.C. late last week and celebrated some of the bi-partisan coalition leading in the fight against PTSD and Veteran suicide. We presented Members General Jack Bergman (R-MI) (pictured above) and Judge John Carter (R-TX) (pictured below), among others, with Healing Breakthrough Veterans Mental Health Leadership Awards to applaud their courage.