WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement:

“While the government will remain open, we are frustrated that this funding bill gives a blank check to Donald Trump and Elon Musk to continue attacking the federal workforce and dismantling the services Virginians rely on. This bill lacks the meaningful proposals we offered as amendments to rein in and defund DOGE and protect our veterans from being indiscriminately fired – because Republicans blocked them all. As Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue to seek giant tax cuts for billionaires while laying off workers, slashing services, and tanking our economy, we will keep standing up for everyday Virginians, who have had enough of this chaos and lawlessness. That means we are already gearing up for our next fight: forcing a Senate vote on our legislation to challenge Trump’s senseless trade war with Canada, which will only raise costs for Virginians.”  

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) have introduced the Protect Our Probationary Employees Act, legislation aimed at protecting recently fired federal workers. The legislation would ensure that if and when employees are reinstated, they will not need to restart their probationary period for the same job they previously held. The legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03).

“Over the past 50 days, more than 20,000 non-political civil servants have been ruthlessly booted from their jobs without cause. Unsurprisingly, a number of these individuals are now being reinstated, either through legal proceedings or because the Trump-Musk administration has realized that these jobs were necessary, and these employees not easily replaced,” said Sen. Warner. “This important legislation would ensure that those dedicated civil servants are able to pick back up where they left off and finish out their probationary periods without penalty.”

“The Trump-Musk illegal purge of federal employees has unfairly harmed thousands of dedicated civil servants and their families, while threatening the critical services they provide day in and day out to the American people. There is clearly no method to this madness – swept up in this chaos were longtime career employees who were recently promoted, along with others who had received glowing performance reviews for their good work. We will continue fighting to reverse these reprehensible actions in the courts – and as those efforts allow employees to return to their jobs, this legislation guarantees that these employees don’t have to restart the clock,” said Sen. Van Hollen.

Sen. Warner has been outspoken about the ramifications the Trump-Musk administration’s reckless actions will have on the federal workforce. During Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought’s confirmation hearing, Sen. Warner grilled him on his plans to ‘traumatize’ federal workers. Sen. Warner has also repeatedly warned of the impact these actions will have on public health, national security, and veterans' services. He highlighted the real-world impact of these cuts during President Trump’s State of the Union Address, bringing Ashley Ranalli, a recently fired National Park Service ranger, as his guest.

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner today joined Sens. Peter Welch (D-VT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in introducing the bipartisan Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act, legislation to limit abusive pricing practices by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The Senators’ legislation cracks down on PBMs’ use of ‘spread pricing,’—charging Medicaid more than PBMs pay pharmacies for a drug—which drives up costs for Medicaid and short-changes pharmacies that are already struggling to stay in business. The bill would save Medicaid an estimated $2 billion over 10 years. 

“Independent pharmacies deliver critical health care, including providing life-saving prescriptions, to patients all across the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, for too long, PBMs have engaged in shady tactics to line their own pockets at the expense of these small businesses and sick seniors. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act, legislation that will put an end to the abusive practice of spread pricing and bring down costs for patients and our local pharmacies,” said Sen. Warner. 
? 
“Pharmacies are essential to the care and wellbeing of our rural communities. But spread pricing by pharmacy benefit managers is making it harder than ever for community pharmacies to stay in business and lining the pockets of middlemen,” said Sen. Welch. “This bill takes an important step to limit PBMs’ abusive pricing practices, protect our pharmacies, and support our rural communities. I’m grateful to have Senators Marshall, Warner, and Cassidy’s partnership on this bipartisan legislation to protect the health of Vermonters and Americans across the country.” 

“Pharmaceutical industry middlemen use a variety of tricks to line their own pockets at the expense of small, independent pharmacies and senior citizens,” said Sen. Marshall. “Prohibiting PBM spread pricing will cut costs for prescription drugs relied upon by Medicaid enrollees while simultaneously preserving access to local pharmacies that have financially struggled in recent years due to PBMs cutting them out of their share of payments. I’m grateful to partner with Senator Welch on this important legislation that is pro-consumer, pro-small business, and pro-taxpayer.”   

“My goal as a doctor in the exam room was to provide the best care at the most affordable price for the patient. The same principle should apply to Medicaid,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Taxpayers should not be cheated by those looking to take advantage of Medicaid.” 
? 
Spread pricing has been linked to the increasing failure rate for independent pharmacies, which are a critical source of health care and community for rural communities in Vermont, Kansas, and across the United States. Between 2018 and 2021, more pharmacies closed than opened in Vermont and across the country.

The Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act will require Medicaid’s payments to PBMs to be passed directly to pharmacies, excluding administrative fees. The bill also requires all pharmacies participating in state Medicaid programs to report National Average Drug Acquisition Costs (NADAC) to increase transparency in drug pricing and ensure reimbursements to pharmacies reflect the true costs of prescription drugs.  

The Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act is endorsed by the Food Industry Association (FMI), National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and the National Community Pharmacist Association.

“These are among the PBM reforms needed right away by Americans and their pharmacies. These also are among the reforms backed overwhelmingly in the Congress on a bipartisan basis. Every day that PBM reform is delayed is another day that Americans pay inflated drug prices, that care gets more remote for people and for communities, and that pharmacies are forced out of business. NACDS thanks Senators Peter Welch, Roger Marshall, Mark Warner, and Bill Cassidy and the cosponsors for their continued leadership, and urges swift action by the Congress to right these wrongs of the middlemen's pharmaceutical benefit manipulation,” said Steven C. Anderson, President and CEO, National Association of Chain Drug Stores. 

“Time and time again, PBMs have been caught using tactics like spread pricing to take advantage of the system, lining their pockets while harming patients and the taxpayers they are supposed to serve. Through spread pricing in Medicaid alone, PBMs can cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” said B. Douglas Hoey, CEO, National Community Pharmacists Association. “These policies nearly made it through Congress at the end of last year. That is why we are grateful for Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Roger Marshall (R-KS) , Mark Warner (D-VA), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) for introducing the Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act, which not only promotes transparency and prohibits spread pricing, but it makes sure pharmacies are paid fairly, allowing them to continue serving their communities.” 

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement:

“We thank the National Transportation Safety Board for their work investigating the January 29 tragedy at Reagan National, and for issuing today’s preliminary report and findings. We must take every step necessary to make sure an accident like this can never happen again. While the full NTSB investigation continues, we appreciate the willingness of the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to immediately implement the urgent safety recommendations from today’s preliminary report.”

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Todd Young (R-IN), Angus King (I-ME), James Lankford (R-OK), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the Critical Minerals Security Act, which would help secure U.S. access to critical mineral supply chains and counter Chinese industry dominance by directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to evaluate the global supply and ownership of critical minerals, establishing a process to assist U.S. companies seeking to divest critical minerals operations in foreign countries, and developing a method for sharing intellectual property for clean mining and processing technologies with U.S. allies and partners:

“Our national security depends on our ability to identify secure sources of critical minerals and support domestic industry in mining, refining, and processing these minerals,” said Sen. Warner. “This legislation takes strong steps to protect our nation’s supply chain for critical minerals, which are essential to combatting China’s continued attempts to monopolize this industry.”

“Despite the important role critical minerals play in everything from consumer electronics to military defense, we need more information to secure a reliable, long-term supply of these minerals,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would ensure the U.S. and our allies understand how critical minerals are controlled around the world so we can counter foreign countries of concern.”

“The Chinese Communist Party is aggressively attempting to monopolize critical mineral resources, and the United States urgently needs to diversify our supply chain and strengthen ties with allies,” said Sen. Young. “Our legislation would respond to China’s actions by better tracking global mineral reserves and devising a national strategy for advancing mining technologies and international cooperation.”

“Critical minerals are essential to America’s national security and energy resiliency since these raw materials are used to power everything from complex military technologies to personal goods like smartphones,” said Sen. King. “The bipartisan Critical Minerals Security Act would help us better understand and leverage the rare earth minerals supply chain, while also reducing our continued reliance on China and other bad actors for these minerals. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for recognizing the importance of strengthening American industry to build jobs here at home and countering supply chain control of these minerals by foreign adversaries.”

“The United States shouldn’t remain dependent on communist China or other adversaries for critical and rare earth minerals used by our defense, health care, aerospace, technology, and energy industries,” said Sen. Lankford. “It is critical to know which mines are run by our allies and which are run by adversaries around the world. Securing the supply chain for critical minerals makes American energy and national security even stronger.” 

"The U.S. can’t lead the world in AI, quantum computing, and clean energy with China holding all the cards,” said Sen. Hickenlooper. “We can secure our future by working hand in glove with our allies to build a stable supply of critical minerals.” 

Background: 

To address information gaps, the Critical Minerals Security Act would direct the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to submit a report to Congress no later than one year after enactment and every two years afterwards on all critical mineral and rare earth element (REE) resources around the world that includes:

• Which resources are controlled by the U.S., an ally or partner, or a foreign entity of concern;
• From which mines critical minerals and REEs are being extracted and estimates of their output volumes;
• Which foreign entities of concern are involved in mining critical minerals and REEs;
• Which entities in the U.S. and countries that are allies or partners are involved in mining critical minerals and REEs;
• An assessment, prepared in consultation with the Secretary of State, of ways to collaborate with countries in which mines or mineral processing operations are located and operated by other countries to ensure U.S. access;
• A compilation, prepared in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, of cases in which entities were forced to divest stock in mining or processing operations for critical minerals and REEs based on government rulings of a foreign entity of concern;
• Cases in which the government of a foreign entity of concern purchased an entity forced to divest stock;
• And cases in which mining or processing operations for critical minerals and REEs were not subject to a government ruling but were taken over by a foreign entity of concern.

The legislation would also require the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to establish a process under which a U.S. entity seeking to divest stock in mining or mineral processing operations for critical minerals and REEs in a foreign country may notify the Secretary of the Interior and allow the Secretary to assist in finding another purchaser that is not under the control of a foreign entity of concern.

Lastly, it would require the Secretary of the Interior to develop and submit a progress report to Congress on:

• A strategy to collaborate with U.S. allies and partners to advance clean mining, refining, separation, and processing technologies;
• And a method for sharing intellectual property (IP) resulting from the development of these technologies to share with allies and partners. 

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) released the following statements after introducing the Patients Before Middlemen (PBM) Act, which would delink the compensation of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from drug price and utilization. It would also ensure fair treatment of all pharmacies by requiring Medicare Part D plans to contract with any willing pharmacy that meets reasonable terms and conditions.

“For too long, Seniors on fixed incomes have had to worry about the high cost of prescription drugs. Meanwhile, PBMs continue to contribute to this phenomenon by keeping drug prices high and reimbursements for local pharmacies low. Seniors on Medicare – and the Medicare program itself – can’t afford to be taken advantage of by middlemen who don’t contribute to quality of care. I’m proud to introduce this legislation as part of our ongoing fight to get these policies across the finish line,” said Sen. Warner.

“The Patients Before Middlemen Act would increase transparency and reduce prescription drug costs for seniors at the pharmacy counter. For too long, middlemen have taken advantage of misaligned incentives in the pharmaceutical supply chain at the expense of taxpayers and seniors. We need to put patients before the profits of pharmacy benefit managers,” said Sen. Blackburn.

“Seniors shouldn’t have to choose between paying for essential medications and other basic needs,” said Sen. Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will help stop pharmacy benefit managers from exploiting loopholes that allow them to drive up drug prices, saving seniors their hard-earned money while also saving taxpayer dollars.  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I will continue to work to lower prescription drug costs for Granite Staters and all Americans.” 

PBMs are third-party intermediaries that manage prescription drug benefits and pharmacy networks on behalf of health plans, including Medicare Part D plans. PBMs perform multiple functions, including determining which medications will be covered by health insurance plans and how much patients will pay.

The PBM industry was created to assist employers with managing overall prescription drug costs and benefits. However, the current system incentivizes PBMs to steer health plans and seniors towards more expensive prescription drugs. Currently, PBMs’ income is often linked to the price of a drug. By tying administrative fees, rebate-based compensation, and other payments to a percentage of the list price, current arrangements incentivize increases in sticker prices, harming patients at the pharmacy counter. Existing regulations allow Part D plan sponsors to contract selectively with pharmacies, favoring preferred networks that often exclude independent pharmacies.

The PBM Act would:

• Ensure pharmacies are given fair and equitable treatment by requiring Part D plans to contract with any willing pharmacy and introduce the designation of essential retail pharmacies to provide better classification in rural and underserved areas.

• Enhance transparency and accountability, ensuring PBMs are not limited patient access to available pharmacy options under Medicare Part D. 

• Prohibit PBM compensation based on the price of a drug as a condition of entering into a contract with a Medicare Part D plan. Under this legislation, PBM service fees would not be connected to the price of a drug, discounts, rebates, or other fees.

• Create an enforcement mechanism requiring PBMs to pay to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary any amount in excess of the designated service fees.

###

WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, (D-VA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), unveiled legislation to undo President Donald Trump’s wildly unpopular tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on goods imported from one of America’s top trading partners and closest allies.

“Virginians can’t afford the cost of President Trump’s tariffs, which will raise prices on everything from groceries to houses and cars,” said Sen. Warner. “Congress must step in before President Trump tanks our economy.”

“Americans want prices to go down—not skyrocket, which is exactly what will happen if Congress lets President Trump slap new taxes on goods from one of our largest trading partners and closest allies,” said Sen. Kaine. “We don’t need to guess what kind of damage these senseless new taxes will do. During Trump’s first term, his trade wars spelled disaster for Virginians, particularly for farmers and foresters who were hit especially hard. Congress has a responsibility to stop that from happening again, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in blocking Trump from destroying our economy.”

“This Administration is igniting a reckless trade war and regular Americans are paying the price,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Costs for everyone will go up and our farmers and businesses will suffer. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner and is a key U.S. ally. We must reverse these damaging tariffs before it’s too late.”

In Virginia in 2024, Canada was the largest export market and accounted for 15 percent of Virginia exports. In Virginia in 2022, top goods exports to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia’s economic output is dependent on trade.

Polls have overwhelmingly demonstrated that the American people do not support Trump’s trade wars. According to a recent survey by Public First, just 28 percent of American adults supported specifically applying tariffs to Canada, while 43 percent opposed.

Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the February 1 emergency that Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports implemented as a result. Trump’s order cites the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of IEEPA in its nearly half century history. After an initial one-month delay, President Trump decided to move forward with the tariffs, with the import taxes starting to be collected on March 4, 2025. In total, President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs will cost the average American household up to $2,000 a year, with the Canada tariffs making up a significant portion of that. These IEEPA tariffs represent the largest tax increase on American families in recent history.

A copy of the legislation is available here.

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released a statement after President Trump enacted a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, jacking up costs for American families:

“President Trump's reckless tariffs on our neighbors in Canada and Mexico are nothing more than a tax on American families. At a time when Virginians are already struggling with the cost of living, President Trump’s irrational tariffs on our allies will raise prices on everything from groceries to cars to houses, and they will kill American jobs. President Trump was elected on a promise to bring down rising prices, but these tariffs do the opposite.”

###

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement:

“Ukraine has been bravely fending off Vladimir Putin’s cruel and unjust invasion for over three years. U.S. assistance – supported by Congress on a bipartisan basis – has helped Ukraine resist and hold its ground against a Russian army that was supposed to take Kyiv in weeks or even days. Now President Trump threatens those hard-fought gains and imperils the lives of the Ukrainian people by unilaterally cutting off the aid that has helped Ukraine maintain its freedom in the face of aggression. Cutting off arms now only undermines the prospect of a peace deal that depends on Ukraine’s ability to negotiate from a position of strength. I call on President Trump to reverse this short-sighted decision, which weakens the United States’ credibility on the global stage.”

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today announced that Ms. Ashley Ranalli of Fredericksburg will attend as his guest to President Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday, March 4. Ms. Ranalli was employed as a National Park Service (NPS) ranger at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park until last month, when – despite exemplary performance reviews – she became one of an estimated 1,000-plus Park Service workers who were indiscriminately fired by the Trump administration due to their “probationary” employment status, joining thousands of other federal workers who were fired without cause as part of Elon Musk and President Trump’s attacks on the workforce. Ms. Ranalli, 41, is a survivor of thyroid cancer and now has no health insurance.

“Ashley Ranalli is one of the many dedicated public servants who have been forced out of their jobs serving Americans by President Trump and Elon Musk. Our national parks are places where we connect with nature, our shared history and one another, and that is made possible by the hard work of national park rangers, whose dedication, expertise, and passion not only safeguard our landscapes and wildlife but also help preserve the stories and history that make these places so special. These indiscriminate cuts of Park Service personnel are devastating to the parks and their local communities,” said Sen. Warner. “I am glad that Ashley is able to join as my guest for the address to Congress, so that President Trump can look out into the audience and face a Virginian directly affected by his short-sighted and reckless choices.”

“Becoming a national park ranger was my dream and after years of dedication and hard work, it finally became a reality, only to be ripped away,” said Ms. Ranalli. “I am devastated by the effect the purge of federal employees has had on Fredericksburg, a community that I love and which relies upon federal workers and tourism dollars from the national park. When I come to Washington, I hope to represent not just my fellow park rangers, but also to be a voice for the people, communities and small businesses that are suffering because of political choices being made in our nation’s capital.”

When Ashley Ranalli was hired as a volunteer and youth program coordinator at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in the fall, it was the culmination of years of effort and hard work. Prior to becoming a park ranger, Ashley was a public school English teacher who spent her summers working as a seasonal worker for the National Park Service, living away from her family at various NPS sites in Virginia in order to demonstrate commitment to the job and distinguish herself from a pool of largely younger candidates. On February 14, she received a layoff notice from the Department of the Interior, despite a recent performance review that described her work as “excellent” and “outstanding,” and which noted that she “goes the extra mile” when working with visitors, volunteers, and colleagues.

While the administration has declined to make public the exact scope of the cuts at NPS and the duties and locations of those affected by the layoffs, the National Parks Conservation Association estimates that in a period of just weeks, nine percent of NPS staff have been lost to mass firings and resignations, in addition to hundreds of vacant positions that can’t be filled due to the ongoing hiring freeze. In addition, the National Park Service has been directed to identify more cuts as part of the larger Reduction in Force (RIF) efforts.

Warner is the author of the Great American Outdoors Act, one of the largest-ever investments in conservation and public lands in our nation’s history. Signed into law by President Trump in 2020, the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act provided billions of dollars to improve infrastructure and expand recreation opportunities in national parks and other public lands after years of underinvestment led a massive backlog in needed maintenance and repairs to Park Service sites. In Virginia alone, Warner’s Great American Outdoors Act has provided over $470 million for projects at Virginia’s 22 park service units and supported thousands of jobs – investments that are now being undermined by the Trump administration’s reckless layoffs that threaten safe operations at the parks ahead of the peak summer season. Last month, Warner led the Virginia delegation in writing the Secretary of the Interior, pushing the administration to reverse the cuts.

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) reintroduced legislation to formally designate the Blue Ridge Music Center’s outdoor amphitheater the “Rick Boucher Amphitheater” after former Rep. Rick Boucher.

“We are deeply appreciative of Congressman Boucher’s commitment to public service, and his continued work for Southwest Virginia,” the senators said. “We can think of no better way to honor his years of public service than by dedicating this treasured music center, which he championed during his years in office, after him.”

Former Rep. Boucher, an Abingdon native, represented Southwest Virginia’s ninth congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2011. Rep. Boucher was an early supporter of the development of the Blue Ridge Music Center and continued to advocate for the project throughout his tenure. He also served as the Chairman of the U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet as well as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality while in Congress.

Located in Galax, VA, the Blue Ridge Music Center is home to a visitor center, outdoor amphitheater, indoor interpretive center, and the Roots of American Music Museum, which highlights the historical significance of the region’s musical culture. The museum was featured in USA TODAY’s Top 10 Best Free Museums in the United States for 2025. The Blue Ridge Music Center is operated by the National Park Service with musical programming coordinated through a partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. On August 25, 2022, Sen. Kaine toured the center and performed at Midday Mountain Music.

The legislation previously passed the Senate on December 23, 2022 but did not pass the House of Representatives before the end of the 117^th Congress.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced legislation to renew and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-administered program that provides essential funding for mental health outreach in veteran communities. The Fox Grant Program was created through a Warner- and Boozman-led bill, passed as part of the broader Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, and it has distributed millions in grants to community and veteran service organizations (VSOs), as well as mental health providers across the country. Without further intervention, the program is scheduled to sunset later this year.

“Veterans put an enormous amount on the line to serve our nation, and we owe them the best benefits available when they come home – including robust mental health resources,” said Sen. Warner. “For the past several years, the Staff Sergeant Fox Grant Program has played an invaluable role getting organizations already doing life-saving mental health outreach more support, including many incredible organizations in Virginia. We cannot back down on our commitment to preventing suicide in veteran communities – it’s time for us to extend and expand this essential grant program.”

“Veterans who struggle with mental health have responded well to support provided by those they know and trust,” said Sen. Boozman. “When our former servicemembers have access to assistance within their own communities, from organizations with demonstrated ability to build strong relationships and foster hope, they are less likely to take their own lives. Reauthorizing funding for this life-saving initiative is part of the commitment we made to fulfilling what was promised to our veterans struggling to carry the invisible weight of their mental and physical sacrifice.”

Suicide is the 12^th-leading cause of death for veterans, and the 2^nd-leading cause for veterans under 45. Over 131,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001, withveterans being 72% more likely than the civilian population to die by suicide. Since its original passage, the Fox Grant Program has worked to end this crisis by distributing hundreds of millions in funding to organizations that provide critical, frontline mental health services to veterans. In 2024 alone, Virginia organizations received $4.5 million from these grants. The program honors Veteran Parker Gordon Fox, a veteran and former sniper instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA. SSG Fox died by suicide on July 21, 2020 at the age of 25.

Specifically, this reauthorization of the Fox Grant Program would:

• Reauthorize the Fox Grant Program until Sept. 30, 2028.
• Increase the total authorized funding for the grant program from $174 million to $285 million.
• Expand the maximum potential award from $750,000 to $1.25 million.
• Direct the VA to collect additional measures and metrics on performance to better serve veterans.
• Require annual briefings for VA medical personnel to improve awareness of the program, and coordination with providers.

The legislation has strong support from Veterans of Foreign Wars and Blue Star Families.

“The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) strongly supports the bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Warner and Boozman to reauthorize and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program,” said Joy Craig, Associate Director of Service Member Affairs with the VFW’s National Legislative Service. “Veteran suicide remains a national crisis, and increasing the maximum grant amount while improving oversight and coordination will help ensure life-saving resources reach those in need. The VFW has long advocated for community-based solutions, and this legislation strengthens critical partnerships between the VA and local organizations working to prevent suicide. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill and reaffirm its commitment to those who have sacrificed for our nation.” 

"The SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program is a lifeline for Veterans and military families facing the invisible wounds of service,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO, Blue Star Families. “Blue Star Families has seen firsthand the impact of these critical resources—support that saves lives and strengthens communities. This program ensures that Veterans and their loved ones get the help they need before a crisis turns tragic. We are proud to support its reauthorization and urge Congress to continue investing in solutions that honor the service and sacrifice of those who’ve given so much for our country."   

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

###