[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9750-9751]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCING THE PUPPIES ASSISTING WOUNDED SERVICEMEMBERS ACT

  (Mr. PAULSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, according to recent VA analysis, an average 
of 20 veterans commit suicide per day. Additionally, 20 percent of 
those who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from PTSD or major 
depression.
  Addressing the mental health of our veterans needs to be a top 
priority, which is why I am cosponsoring the Puppies Assisting Wounded 
Servicemembers Act, or the PAWS Act. It is an additional way to provide 
better treatment for our soldiers who are struggling with various forms 
of mental health following their service and deployment.
  This initiative allows the VA to create a 5-year program to give 
organizations grants to pair veterans suffering with PTSD with service 
dogs to increase their recovery. Studies show

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that service dogs contribute considerably to one's emotional and 
psychological well-being.
  Mr. Speaker, the PAWS Act will help with the recovery of our veterans 
who have paid a great price in serving our country. It is imperative 
that our veterans' mental health remains a high priority and that they 
have access to as many options as possible.

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