Friend,
America is only the land of the free because of the brave. As we head into Memorial Day Weekend and make plans to spend time with family and friends—it is important to remember why we commemorate this day. Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms.
Since our nation’s founding, brave men and women have left their families and the comfort of their daily lives to answer our nation’s call to serve. While there is no way to repay those who have sacrificed to defend our nation fully, we can start by ensuring our veterans receive reliable, top-quality care when they return home—for both physical injuries and the mental toll of service. Not all war wounds are visible, and in Congress, I’m working in a bipartisan way to improve mental health care access for our veterans.
I teamed up with the entire Iowa delegation on the bipartisan Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act, legislation named for Sgt. Brandon Ketchum of Davenport, Iowa. This bill expands mental health care access for veterans in rural communities.
After visiting Retrieving Freedom in Waverly, Iowa, and seeing firsthand how pairing veterans with service dogs can help with mental health issues, I co-sponsored bipartisan legislation (the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act) to increase access to service dogs for veterans who need emotional support.
Both of these bipartisan bills are now law. To honor those who have fought and died for our freedoms, we must take the best possible care of our veterans and advocate for their mental health care needs. I will continue hearing from Iowa veterans and telling their stories in Washington to ensure our troops, veterans, and their families receive the full scope of care they deserve and the benefits they have earned.
Read my full column about improving veterans' mental health here and read on for more about my work for Iowans this week.
Best,
