{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-kelly-blasts-hegseths-dismissiveness-on-mental-health-crisis-aboard-uss-lincoln-calls-for-sailors-to-get-immediate-help/", "ICYMI:\u00a0Kelly\u00a0Blasts Hegseth\u2019s Dismissiveness on Mental Health Crisis Aboard USS Lincoln, Calls for Sailors to Get Immediate Help", "2026-08-14", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "AZ", "Mark Kelly", "K000377", "www.kelly.senate.gov", "markkelly", "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "\u201cI\u2019d like to see from this administration just once, just one time, someone taking some responsibility for something that isn\u2019t going right.\u201d\n\nLast night, on MS NOW\u2019s The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly blasted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his dismissal of the mental health crisis unfolding aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln\u2014where sailors have tried to jump overboard due to deteriorating conditions\u2014and to call out the Trump administration\u2019s failure to keep military families informed.\n\nKelly also encouraged servicemembers who are struggling with their mental health to learn and use the resources available through the Brandon Act, legislation he passed that guarantees servicemembers the right to seek mental health treatment without fear of retaliation. The legislation is named in honor of United States Navy Petty Officer Third Class Brandon Caserta of Peoria, Arizona, who died by suicide after seeking mental health care and being denied.\n\nSen. Kelly talks to Jen Psaki on The Briefing with Jen Psaki.\n\nWatch the full conversation here. See key excerpts below:\n\nOnSecretaryHegseth\u2019s dismissive response to the mental health crisisunfoldingaboard the USS Lincoln\u2026\n\n\u201cI got to say, as bad as that and the conditions that these sailors have been put in, what I think is as bad, if not worse, is the Secretary of Defense\u2019s response. Dismissing it like it\u2019s no concern at all. I think a fundamental part of leadership is trying to improve the lives of the people you\u2019re leading. And he doesn\u2019t want there to be any accountability. He doesn\u2019t want to get blamed. That\u2019s pretty obvious. He doesn\u2019t want this president to get blamed. I\u2019d like to see from this administration just once, just one time, someone taking some responsibility for something that isn\u2019t going right. And in this case, they seem to have a mental health crisis aboard that ship. It needs to be addressed, and the conditions need to be improved.\u201d\n\nOnspeaking to an Arizona grandmother whose grandson is aboard the ship\u2026\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s depressed about the situation he is in. He doesn\u2019t know when this deployment is going to end. I\u2019d say the most disturbing thing she told me is she saw a picture of him, and she said when he got into the Navy, he was already like a skinny kid. She says it looks like he\u2019s lost 20 to 25 pounds.\n\n\u201cBut the thing that also bothered her the most was the dismissiveness Pete Hegseth brought to this whole situation. She saw what he said, and she said it was rather disturbing that this is the way that he represented what was going on.\u201d\n\nOn theTrumpadministration\u2019s failure to keep military families informed\u2026\n\n\u201cServicemembers, spouses and children, they\u2019re also serving their country. And we owe them not only gratitude, but we owe them a certain amount of respect that we\u2019re going to operate within certain rules. And one of them is to share information when you\u2019re when your family member, your servicemember on active duty is having a problem, they have the right to know.\u201d\n\nOn why no servicemember should fear seeking help\u2026\n\n\u201cThey shouldn\u2019t be punished and they should get treatment. I was the primary sponsor in the Senate on a piece of legislation called the Brandon Act, named after Brandon Caserta, who was a Third Class Petty Officer in the Navy who took his own life. He was in a helicopter squadron. It was a tragic case of somebody who sought treatment and didn\u2019t get it.\n\n\u201cSo, I encourage service members out there, if they\u2019re struggling, if they\u2019re depressed, if they\u2019re having ideas about taking their own lives or harming themselves, learn about the Brandon Act and know that you can go to your leadership and they have to provide you treatment.\u201d\n\nThe Veterans Crisis Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reached by calling 988, press 1. Services also are available online at www.veteranscrisisline.net or by text, 838255.\n\nThe National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Find more information about the Lifeline at suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call directly by dialing 988.", 1, "2026-08-15T05:23:20Z", "2026-08-15T05:24:50Z"]], "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://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-kelly-blasts-hegseths-dismissiveness-on-mental-health-crisis-aboard-uss-lincoln-calls-for-sailors-to-get-immediate-help/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5264309477061033, "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"}