Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

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

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I am pleased to commemorate it today by passing this bill to expand mental healthcare to veterans in rural areas.

The Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act would expand VA's RANGE program. The RANGE program provides veterans who have serious mental illness or who are at risk of homelessness with intense case management.

Almost a quarter of our Nation's veterans reside in rural communities. I am one of those veterans who does. While I wouldn't have it any other way, I know firsthand that living in a rural area can be a barrier to care. This bill will help remove that barrier for some of our most vulnerable veterans. It will help ensure that they do not fall through the cracks. It will help them heal.

It will also require GAO to assess whether VA has sufficient resources to support mental health in rural areas. That will help identify any other barriers to care that may exist for these veterans so that we can break them down.

This bill is supported by the entire Iowa delegation, including by my friend, fellow veteran, and fellow committee member, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

It is named after Brandon Ketchum, an Iowa veteran who died by suicide in 2016. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. I am honored to support this bill today in Brandon's memory.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me, and I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source