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Washington, D.C. – Today, the Subcommittee on Health approved five bills to improve Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services for homeless veterans and establish a therapeutic pilot program in which veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) would train service dogs for other veterans with physical disabilities. After passage, Ranking Member Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC) made the following statment in appreciation to fellow Subcommittee members for supporting his bill, H.R. 3885 the Veterans’ Dog Training Therapy Act:
“Veterans participating in a similar program at one VA facility have shown very favorable progress,” Brown said. “I believe we should provide every advantage we possibly can to help these men and women, who have sacrificed so much, achieve successful rehabilitation and participate in the society they helped defend.
H.R. 3885 would expand implementation of this program and hopefully the successes we have already seen on a small scale basis will grow exponentially. I also strongly support the other measures before us today that would improve services to our veterans who must search for shelter on the streets or under bridges.
It is unacceptable to me that anyone who has put their life on the line to defend our freedoms should be without a home, food, or a job. The legislation we approved today would ensure that VA has better tools to provide homeless veterans with safe housing, needed treatment and services, and opportunities to return to gainful employment.”
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