Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mrs. HINSON. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 2441, the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act.

I want to start off by thanking my colleague, Congresswoman Cindy Axne, for introducing this legislation and for her leadership. I was proud to join the gentlewoman and our entire Iowa delegation, as has already been mentioned, to introduce this very important bipartisan bill for our veterans.

Sergeant Ketchum from Davenport served our country honorably overseas in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But let's be real: Not every war wound is visible.

Many veterans struggle when they come home with serious mental health challenges. When Sergeant Ketchum returned home from his tours, he battled again; this time with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sergeant Ketchum sought help at the Iowa City VA hospital but was turned away. Shortly after, he did take his own life.

No veteran should be denied the help and the care that they need after dedicating their lives to serving our country. No veteran should ever be turned away like Sergeant Ketchum was.

Unfortunately, veterans who live in rural areas face increased challenges and additional barriers to accessing the treatment that they need.

Our legislation, named in honor of Sergeant Ketchum, will improve access to mental health services for veterans in rural areas. Our veterans put their lives on the line every day to protect our freedoms, and we have a duty to ensure that they can receive high-quality treatment once they return home from service.

We have a duty to ensure that our veterans know they aren't alone and that we have their backs, regardless of where they live.

I am proud to work alongside my colleagues in Iowa to improve access to mental health services for veterans in rural areas and to help ensure that no veteran is denied the care that they deserve.

I urge all of our colleagues to support the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act. Vote ``yes'' in honor of Sergeant Ketchum and the thousands of veterans like him who need and deserve our support.

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