Tuberville Speaks with VA Nominee on Preventing Veteran Suicide

June 5, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Cheryl Mason, President Trump's nominee to be Veterans' Affairs Inspector General during her nomination hearing at the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. They discussed the role the Inspector General's office will have in combatting veteran suicide.

Read Sen. Tuberville's remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

TUBERVILLE: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. Mason, thank you for being here. The Office of Inspector General recently put out a report highlighting reports within the fiduciary program such as failures with training protocol. Can you commit to working with me and my staff to developing solutions to make the program work better for our most vulnerable veterans?"

MASON: "Thank you, Senator Tuberville. Absolutely, I can commit to do that. I think that's extremely important."

TUBERVILLE: "Thank you. The Inspector General has put out several reports highlighting failures with the suicide crisis line. How would you work with Secretary Collins to ensure these recommendations are implemented to support veterans and reduce suicide?"

MASON: "Thank you for the question, Senator Tuberville. As we discussed in your office, [...] suicide is very personal to me. I've had two suicides in my family, both were veterans. So, I take that very seriously. And I've looked at the IG reports and I've looked at the other things the Department is doing. And there are several activities going on now currently as a senior advisor or EEO. I'm looking at some of the suicide actions that are being taken [to do prevention awareness] in our partnerships, and I would continue to advise to do that.

If confirmed as IG, I would continue to look at those actions, to include the grants on mental health and suicide that the Department has, make sure there's appropriate oversight into that as well as what the crisis line is doing, ensure that they are properly staffed and have the right support and resources they need to answer those calls because those calls do save lives."

TUBERVILLE: "Thank you. When confirmed, what will be your first thing that you want to do as the new IG?"

MASON: "Thank you, Senator, for that question. I think, you know, the first thing I want to do is really get a good assessment of the office. I want to make sure that the accountability is extremely important, and the integrity of that office is extremely important. And I have no reason to think that they don't operate that way now. But [the] IG has to operate that way as independent and impartial. And so, I want to make sure that they, one, are operating that way in everything they do, but [two,] they also have the adequate resources. And then find out what their current investigations are [and] see where they are in those investigations. But right behind that is follow-up on those open, unimplemented recommendations and figure out [...] how we bring those to close with the Department and with this Committee."

TUBERVILLE: "Thank you. I yield my time."

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans' Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.