Budzinski, Kim Express Support for Women Veterans Research

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40) sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins expressing their support for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue health research focused on women veterans. This week marks VA Research Week and celebrates the 100th anniversary of VA research. 

The Congresswomen write, “Women are the fastest growing segment of the veteran population. Today, over 2 million women veterans live in the United States, and they are expected to make up 18% of all veterans by 2040. However, women veterans face unique barriers in accessing care, especially in the areas of behavioral health, reproductive care, and tailored services for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST).

“VA’s significant investments in research over the last several years have been crucial in improving our understanding of the unique barriers women veterans face. Initiatives such as the Women’s Health Research Network and the Women’s Health Research Integration Workgroup have allowed VA to make strides in ensuring our women veterans are represented in research and clinical trials. But we remain concerned that this progress could be stalled if research appointments are allowed to lapse. We are deeply concerned that these actions may impact VA’s ability to conduct meaningful research for our women veterans.”

Budzinski and Kim have both been strong advocates for women veterans. Earlier this year, they introduced legislation to improve VA training for Military Sexual Trauma claims, which recently advanced out of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. 

The full text of the letter is HERE and below: 

May 13, 2025

The Honorable Doug Collins

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Collins,

We write to you to express our deep commitment to ensuring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues its legacy as a national leader in health research, particularly research that focuses on improved care and outcomes for our women veterans.

Women are the fastest growing segment of the veteran population. Today, over 2 million women veterans live in the United States, and they are expected to make up 18% of all veterans by 2040. However, women veterans face unique barriers in accessing care, especially in the areas of behavioral health, reproductive care, and tailored services for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST).

VA’s significant investments in research over the last several years have been crucial in improving our understanding of the unique barriers women veterans face. Initiatives such as the Women’s Health Research Network and the Women’s Health Research Integration Workgroup have allowed VA to make strides in ensuring our women veterans are represented in research and clinical trials. But we remain concerned that this progress could be stalled if research appointments are allowed to lapse. We are deeply concerned that these actions may impact VA’s ability to conduct meaningful research for our women veterans.

Women veterans face an array of unique issues and challenges compared to their male counterparts such as the disproportionate impacts of MST, reproductive health, toxic exposures, and the pressures on women veterans as caregivers and recipients of caregiving. VA health care and services must meet the needs of women veterans, requiring ongoing research on their unique military experiences, health issues, and barriers to care.

Despite these investments, research on women’s health ‒ including that of women veterans ‒ has historically been underfunded, resulting in gaps in knowledge and health outcomes. Even in FY 2023, a small fraction (less than 5 percent) of VA’s appropriated research dollars were spent on health issues affecting women veterans. There are ongoing gaps in understanding, for instance, the impacts of toxic exposures on women’s gynecologic health, the reasons for higher incidence of breast cancer among women veterans compared to the non-veteran population, and other health and mental health issues that affect women. Understanding these issues is critical to our women veterans’ ability to conceive and raise healthy children, thrive in their civilian lives, and contribute to their communities.

While the March 2025 temporary extension of term-limited research appointments was an important step to protect the VA research enterprise, a long-term strategy to safeguard and strengthen VA research is still needed. We remain concerned about long-term risks to VA’s research mission if additional protections are not instituted ‒ particularly for research on women veterans. This includes ensuring that VA’s research workforce is protected and strengthened and that VA continues to invest in research and particularly in women’s research.

To that end, we request detailed information regarding VA’s plans and policies regarding research studies on women veterans, as well as the status of and plans for initiatives supporting research on women veterans, including the Women’s Health Research Network and the Women’s Health Research Integration Workgroup. We respectfully request a response in writing by June 5, 2025. VA’s ongoing research is vital for improving the care of our growing population of women veterans. Thank you for your prompt attention. 

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