Comer Continues Investigation into Biden Administration’s Failure to Provide Care to Federal Employees Affected by Havana Syndrome

WASHINGTON—Today, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is requesting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provide information about access to care to former military personnel affected by anomalous health incidents (AHIs), such as Havana Syndrome. This inquiry is part of the Committee’s broader investigation into the Biden Administration’s inadequate measures to provide legally required care for federal civilian employees suffering from AHIs. In a letter to VA Secretary Douglas Collins, Chairman Comer requests a staff-level briefing on the Biden Administration’s shortfalls and the Trump Administration’s path forward to ensure care is adequately provided. 
 
“VA operates the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States and the primary source of care for nearly half of all veterans. According to VA’s own reporting, a significant number of individuals affected by AHIs are veterans,” wrote Chairman Comer. “Given the complexity of AHI symptoms and the difficulties associated with diagnosis and treatment, the Committee seeks to better understand how VA is managing these cases and ensuring that affected veterans can access appropriate and timely care, particularly through specialized DoD facilities [like the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE)].” 

The Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) expanded the DoD’s authority to provide health care to federal civilian employees impacted by AHIs. Even with this expansion, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued in 2024 reveals ongoing challenges for veterans suffering from AHIs face in DoD facilities. While the VA has established efforts to study AHIs and facilitate care for veterans, the Biden Administration failed to establish a clear and effective system for diagnosing and treating government employees with Havana Syndrome and other AHIs. Earlier this year, the Committee sent a letter to DoD Secretary Pete Hegseth to investigate DoD’s actions to provide care for affected veterans. 

“The VA should be prepared to answer the following questions: (1) if VA has established data-sharing agreements with DoD to receive medical data collected by DoD relating to AHIs, (2) if VA has reviewed clinical data gathered by DoD to inform disability rating criteria relating to AHI, (3) whether the VA has coordinated with the Institute of Medicine to assess the utility of a presumptive service connection rule for AHIs, and (4) how many veterans have successfully been given access to care on the basis of an AHI,” concluded Chairman Comer.  

Read the letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas Collins here.