On the recordJune 13, 2011
I rise to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman from Texas. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) brought a matter to our attention that is very, very important and significant, and I think it's appropriate that we ought to at least examine that in the form of a colloquy here on the floor as we consider this Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Mr. Chairman, many veterans have returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe disabilities; and when their service results in a disability, we have a duty to help them. And one way that veterans receive this help is through the use of guide dogs. Now, the way the process works, veterans are assessed and they're trained for orientation and mobility. If a veteran needs a guide dog, information on how to contact guide dog schools is provided. Essentially, the veteran is referred to a nonprofit. There's no funding provided directly from the VA to these nonprofits; and with the costs associated with training these dogs, it takes time to raise the money which, in turn, causes a backlog for veterans, as well as for nonveterans. {time} 1610 We have to look at this issue and see what it is that the Veterans Administration can do to help because these dogs mean so much to those who need them.
