By Matthew Holloway |
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) received the 2026 Hero Defender Award from the John P. Mayhugh Foundation during an event in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
Hamadeh’s office announced the award on X, saying the foundation presents the honor to members of Congress for their work on veterans’ health care.
“Congressman Hamadeh is honored to receive the 2026 Hero Defender Award from the John P. Mayhugh Foundation today in Washington, D.C.,” his office wrote. “An Army veteran himself, the Congressman will keep fighting for veterans in Arizona’s 8th District.”
The award coincided with the foundation’s ninth annual Hero’s Journey Symposium, held Tuesday at the American Psychiatric Association Foundation Conference Center. This year’s theme, “Bridging the Gap — From Trauma to Transformation,” focused on the effects of trauma and potential paths from what the foundation calls “wounds to wellness.”
The symposium brought together researchers, physicians, military leaders, public policy specialists, and community advocates for discussions involving family mental health, emerging science and technology, patient-centered care, healing arts, and trauma-informed treatment.
The John P. Mayhugh Foundation was established as a nonprofit organization in 2017 in memory of John Powell Mayhugh, who died at age 27 from an opioid overdose after experiencing addiction connected to secondary post-traumatic stress. His parents, retired Army Col. Mary Lowe Mayhugh and Kevin Mayhugh, established the organization with John’s friends and colleagues to address systemic barriers to recovery.
The foundation works to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, addiction, and other behavioral health conditions affecting service members, veterans, and their families.
Hamadeh has served in the Army Reserve since 2016 as an intelligence officer and deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2020. He also serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. His Veterans’ Affairs assignments include the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Hamadeh’s veterans-related legislative work includes the Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025, or H.R. 3767, introduced with Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13). Among other provisions, the measure would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide employment contracts to qualifying graduates of its Health Professionals Scholarship Program within 90 days of completing their training and licensing requirements. The House-passed version would also prohibit smoking on the premises of Veterans Health Administration facilities.
The House passed the measure by voice vote in September 2025. It was subsequently referred to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Hamadeh also introduced the CARING for Our Veterans Health Act, H.R. 6522, with Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) as a cosponsor. The legislation would require the VA to establish guidelines for tracking medical records following treatment by community health care providers and measuring the department’s performance in obtaining those records.
In June, Hamadeh and Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03) introduced the MEDIC Careers Act, H.R. 9140. The proposal would examine barriers preventing military medical personnel from applying their training toward civilian licenses and establish a Department of Defense grant program to help health care providers hire and train service members transitioning into civilian employment.
Hamadeh later introduced the Veterans and Servicemembers PTSD Emerging Treatment Review Act, H.R. 9547. The bill would direct the Department of Defense to report to Congress on emerging investigational treatments for veterans, active-duty personnel, and transitioning service members experiencing treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder.
In July, Hamadeh also joined Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) in calling on Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to implement recommendations from an inspector general audit of the Veterans Community Care Program.
Hamadeh’s office said Tuesday that he intends to continue pursuing veterans-related legislation on behalf of his district.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
