OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act

Floor Speech

Date: May 21, 2024
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 807, the Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act, sponsored by Representative McHenry.

This bill, introduced by Representative McHenry and Representative McGovern, will require the U.S. Treasury and Mint to develop a coin series honoring the critical role that working dogs play in our society.

For decades, working service dogs have provided a range of services, from detection, military service, therapy, assistance, and mobility to Active-Duty servicemembers and first responders with disabilities. Their work and companionship have brought immeasurable growth and healing for veterans and others with disabilities.

As the number of service dogs given to veterans with disabilities and PTSD continues to increase, this bill is an important step in giving these loyal and hardworking service dogs the love and the recognition that they deserve.

I thank Representative McHenry and Representative McGovern, two ideological compadres if there ever were such, for their bipartisan work on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I am personally proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, as we thank our veterans and Active-Duty military servicemembers, we must not forget the crucial role that service dogs play on and off the battlefield. As a scientist, I note that in a recent study conducted on veterans with service dogs, veterans with service dog companions had stress hormones more like those in healthy adults without PTSD than veterans without service dogs.

Promoting the health and mental well-being of our veterans is both a collective and an individual endeavor. This legislation furthers those efforts and ensures that we recognize the important role that service dogs play in protecting our Nation, its Active-Duty servicemembers, and our veterans.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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