On the Fourth of July, we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document intended to let the rest of the world know that America was in a fight to secure for its citizens life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, Americans also use the day to celebrate the warriors who fight for our inalienable rights and defend freedom. 

Our warfighters are not red or blue. They are red, white and blue, which is why I make a point of working with veterans serving on both sides of the aisle to honor our active duty and veteran military population. 

Earlier this year, I led a bipartisan group of veteran Members of Congress to introduce the Flowers for Fallen Heroes Act. The bill makes sure that the families of those fallen soldiers can honor their relatives on days like the Fourth of July when our country feels the debt of their sacrifice the most. 

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) has curated cemeteries from the Philippines to Normandy where the bodies of fallen service members from the wars fought there are buried. Families of the fallen could contact the ABMC to place flower arrangements on these graves. 

In 2015, the ABMC unilaterally ended the program, leaving Gold Star families out to dry. When I learned about this issue from these families’ tireless advocacy, my colleagues Reps. Mike Thompson (D., Calif.) and Donald G. Davis (D., N.C.) joined forces with me to restore the program. 

Thankfully, after a media investigation, there is now movement from the White House pushing the ABMC to reinstate the program, and there will be a hearing on the legislation at the House Veterans Affairs Committee next week.

Independence Day reminds us of our fallen heroes, but we cannot neglect those veterans who are suffering now as the veteran’s suicide epidemic continues. To address this crisis, I partnered with Rep. Davis to introduce the Protecting Veteran Community Care Act, which would provide veterans with quicker and better access to mental healthcare.

Additionally, I have been honored to join my fellow Navy SEALs in Congress, Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas), Morgan Luttrell (R., Texas), and Derrick Van Orden (R., Wis.) in pushing the Douglas Mike Day Psychedelic Therapy to Save Lives Act. This bill, named for a Navy SEAL who took his life in March 2023, would require the Department of Defense to award research grants focusing on the controlled use of certain psychedelics to treat PTSD and TBI among members of the armed forces. I am happy to say that I voted for the House FY25 Defense Appropriations Bill which includes $10 million to explore these therapies.

As a Member of Congress, but more importantly as a retired Navy SEAL Commander, it is my duty to lead where duty calls. And duty calls us to honor the fallen and serve our living warfighters in a way that cuts across party lines and unites our great nation.

Ryan Zinke represents Montana’s 1st Congressional District. Zinke began public service in 1985 when he joined the U.S. Navy and graduated from Officer Candidate School. He was recruited to join the U.S. Navy SEALs where he went on dozens of deployments targeting terrorist cells in Asia, war criminals in Bosnia, and combating the rise of radical Islamic terrorists in the Middle East. During his military career, he held a number of leadership positions, including as Ground Forces and Task Force commander at SEAL Team SIX. During his service, he oversaw the U.S. Navy SEAL BUD/S training after 9/11, and was Deputy/Acting Commander of Joint Special Forces during the Iraq war. In 2006 he was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. Commander Zinke retired from active duty in 2008 after serving for 23 years.