The men and women who defend our nation in uniform have earned our gratitude and support through their service and sacrifice. We have a responsibility to ensure that when our servicemembers conclude their commitment in the armed forces, we take care of them as well as they have taken care of us. I pledge that standing up for veterans in the First District and across the country will be a top priority for me as a Member of Congress.

Part of this commitment to our veterans is making sure they have access to high quality health care. That’s why I introduced the Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act (H.R. 1544). This legislation would make it easier for veterans suffering from service-related mental conditions to get access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care. Under current regulations, it is easiest to access VA healthcare services within five years of the end of a veteran’s service, but we know that certain conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may not become apparent until years later. My legislation would eliminate that five-year restriction for mental health conditions.

I have been proud to support legislation such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 delivered $5.8 million to support the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act provides assistance and training to those who care for our troops, improves care for female veterans, expands the services to veterans living in rural areas, and ensures that the veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have access to the readjustment counseling and mental health services that they require. These improvements will help provide better care and an improved facility for greater Cincinnati's veterans.

We are fighting two wars, and there will be greater and greater strain on the VA to provide critically needed benefits and resources to our veterans. I will continue working to support veterans and their families to ensure that their needs are met.