Mark Takano: “I am delighted that the Veterans' Affairs Committee can, once again, unite America, including Michiganders and the…”

“I am delighted that the Veterans' Affairs Committee can, once again, unite America, including Michiganders and the Buckeye State. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice), my good friend and former member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and lead Democratic cosponsor. Miss RICE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1448, the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. No group in America is more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions than our veterans. Tragically, as my friend Congressman Stivers just said, this means that 22 veterans are dying every single day by suicide. This is a crisis. We cannot look the other way. We must make sure that our veterans have access to every available mental health resource out there. The research on this issue is clear. Service dogs are proven to help people suffering from a wide array of mental health conditions, including PTSD. I have seen the evidence of this with my own eyes. Veterans have told me that they would not be here today if it weren't for their service dog. That is how much these dogs mean and that is why this bill is so critical. {time} 1245 By creating a pilot program on dog training therapy at the VA and providing service dogs to veterans, this bill won't just improve lives; it will save them.…”