{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3684", "Bipartisan COPE Act Passed by House, Aims to Boost Mental Health Support for Veterans\u2019 Caregivers", "2023-12-06", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/press/documentquery.aspx", "page_html", "Originally published in MyChesCo\n\nIn a unanimous decision on Monday night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement (COPE) Act. This bill, co-sponsored by Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA), seeks to enhance mental health resources available to caregivers of veterans.\n\nThe COPE Act seeks to establish grant programs within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These grants would support entities that bolster caregiver mental health and well-being.\n\nHoulahan lauded the passing of the bill, highlighting the crucial role played by family caregivers in supporting veterans, particularly in regions without easy access to VA health systems. She noted the emotional, physical, and mental toll of veteran caregiving, and emphasized the importance of expanding mental health resources for these caregivers.\n\nKiggans echoed these sentiments, framing the passage of the COPE Act as a significant step towards improving the lives of veterans. She underscored her personal commitment to veterans\u2019 issues, drawing on her own experiences as a military family member and a former Navy helicopter pilot.\n\nThe bill has also received endorsement from AARP, a leading advocacy organization for Americans aged 50 and over. Bill Sweeny, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for AARP, praised the bipartisan efforts of Kiggans and Houlahan to improve mental health treatment access for military and veteran family caregivers.", 1, "2026-04-08T14:14:11Z", "2026-04-08T14:23:06Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3684"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7951671034097672, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}