The House of Representatives earlier this month passed a bill that Congressman Jim McGovern authored to permanently authorize the Wounded Warrior Service Dog Program within the U.S. Department of Defense Health Programs, and it has headed to the Senate for a vote.
McGovern, a Democrat representing the 2nd Congressional District of Massachusetts, reintroduced the bill in June 2019 as part of the national defense authorization bill. If it passes the Senate, the bill will move on to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature to become law.
“These dogs are miracles, and a lot of veterans need them,” McGovern said earlier this week while in Sunderland as part of his 10th annual Massachusetts Farm Tour.
McGovern crafted an unsuccessful freestanding bill in 2013, but he and others were able to get some line items passed to fund what was essentially a pilot program. The effort started after McGovern visited NEADS World Class Service Dogs, formerly known as National Education for Assistance Dog Services and Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans, in Princeton in 2013 and met with a group of military veterans benefiting from service dogs trained by the organization.
“Since then I have gotten over $40 million directed toward this program, which basically provides grants to organizations that train service dogs … and then they can be given to a veteran at no cost or at a very little cost,” McGovern explained. “Because the average cost of training a service dog can be up to $60,000. And the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) doesn’t cover it. Insurance doesn’t cover it and we just need to make sure that people who need them can get them.”
The congressman recalled meeting a veteran who was prescribed several medications to deal with trauma after a deployment.
“He was introduced to a service dog. They were able to wean him off his medications. He’s back at work,” said McGovern, who is running unopposed for re-election in the Sept. 1 state primary. “He feels like he’s a better husband, a better father, and it just changed his life.”
In 2018, 31 nonprofits across 22 states received funding through the grant process.
The bill is bipartisan, as it was also introduced by U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind. McGovern said the bill is proof bridges can be formed across the political aisle.
“I’m a liberal. She’s a conservative. We served together on the Agriculture Committee for a while. But we respect each other. We have a working relationship with each other,” he said. “And something we agree on here is helping our veterans and providing them the resources so they can get access to service dogs if they need them.”
Walorski previously released a statement about the bill on McGovern’s congressional website.
“When our brave men and women in uniform return home from serving, we need to make sure they get all the care and support they need,” it read. “Service dogs play a critical role in helping our wounded warriors recover and thrive. By building on the successful Wounded Warrior Service Dog Program, this bipartisan bill will bring more veterans and service dogs together and make a meaningful difference in the lives of American heroes.”
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.