Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) is honored to announce the introduction of the Mueller-Keating Memorial Highway Act, which designates a section of I-17 to honor Kayla Mueller and Charlie Keating.

The Mueller-Keating Memorial Highway Act will honor the lives of “Arizona’s Angel” Kayla Mueller and Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Charles H. Keating IV, who embody Arizona’s dual legacy of humanitarian courage and combat sacrifice in the fight against ISIS.

The Mueller-Keating Memorial Highway will begin in Prescott, Kayla’s hometown, and end in Phoenix, Charlie’s hometown.

Congressman Hamadeh introduced the legislation on August 13 in advance of what should have been Kayla’s 38^th birthday on August 14.

Chief Keating was the third U.S. servicemember killed in Operation Inherent Resolve. “Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve was formed in 2014 to reclaim land stolen by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, dismantle the group’s network, and protect the population from its violence and influence.” ^[1]

Kayla was abducted by terrorists while leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria, in 2013. She was held captive for 18 month and killed by ISIS militants, including then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Congressman Hamadeh, a former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, took his oath of office while honoring the life of Kayla by using her family’s Bible during the ceremony in Washington, D.C. He was joined by his family and Kayla's parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller.

In August 2025, Congressman Hamadeh made an unprecedented trip from Jerusalem to Damascus to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani to discuss the Congressman's continuing efforts to bring Kayla’s body home and advance the Peace Through Strength agenda.

“Operation Inherent Resolve demanded both military force and humanitarian resolve, and this designation recognizes the distinct, yet complementary roles our beloved Arizonans played in that effort,” stated Congressman Hamadeh. “We can never forget the victims of ISIS and these two Americans that faced that evil with faith and courage.”