Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that law enforcement service dogs and their handlers perform a vital role in providing for our Nation's security and should be recognized for their service.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I thank Mr. Coble for his bill.

Service dogs, yes, they do a lot of really important functions, among which is to provide service and support for our veterans. We just expanded last year the definition of those eligible for service dogs to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder because these animals know when these veterans are in crisis and they can help get them out of the house, they can help them not only see when they can't see, as we commonly associate service dogs to be sight for the blind, but now these service dogs are doing a lot of things in addition to helping in our law enforcement.

I love the term ``to detect,'' to search and rescue. I only wish our country had that attitude when it came to our Nation's heroes who are suffering from these neurological disorders of blindness, of TBI, of post-traumatic stress, because they need more than just service dogs. They need us to go in there and unlock the mysteries that are keeping them held hostage to the disability of their service to our country. The constant IED attacks and concussions on the brain that are going to cause a permanent, unless we step in and save them, permanent disability for these veterans.

We have an opportunity. We talked about civil rights, voting rights. This is the biggest civil rights fight for our day and generation, those with neurological disorders, for those suffering in their minds. We don't see it, and so we don't take it seriously. The fact is they need someone to come in and set them free from being prisoners of their war injuries. We need to be the first responders in the next couple of years, dedicate ourselves to saying while combat operations are over in Iraq, the war hasn't ended for these veterans. It is just beginning as they face the disabilities that they have incurred, suffering by their sacrifice to our country.

So we talk about how great service dogs are in so many respects. Let's put those service dogs out of business. Let's restore the eyesight of our veterans. The biggest TBI, traumatic brain injury, is lost eyesight. The biggest TBI confusion, loss of memory, loss of ability to go outside. These dogs are bringing them out into the real world. Let's not allow us to be having to rely on others to support these veterans. Let's restore their brain capacities by investing in stem cell research. Let's restore their functions by making sure that we invest in all of the genetic trip wire identifications so they don't have to get Alzheimer's 20 years prior to the average American, which is what all neuroscientists say these veterans are going to be facing if we don't step in soon. They don't have to get Parkinson's disease because we are not doing anything.

Let's get in there, and in the words of my uncle, President Kennedy, when we talked about civil rights, he said, Who amongst us would be willing to abide by the counsels of patience and delay, and trade the color of their skin for someone else's, and abide by those laws back in the 1960s?

Well, now, who amongst us would trade places with these suffering TBI victims, these veterans, and say we can't do better to bring you home, not only in body when you get home from your war serving our country, but in mind? Because we know the suicide rates are off the charts, unacceptable. We know that what they are facing is unacceptable, and we need to be the ones who come in and shed some light on their lives so they don't have to rely on service dogs.

We don't have to rely on anything else but their potential to live their own independent lives free for themselves, without any dependence on anybody else, and we can do that if we put our commitment out there, professing like we did today that we care about our first responders. Hey, let's put it into action and invest in these things that will bring our veterans home, not only in body but in mind.

In the meantime, we can make sure they have service dogs, for which this Congress provided $5 million to expand the definition of those who are suffering from other neurological disorders other than eyesight loss. That's a good thing, but let's not make it the answer, the Band- Aid. Let's get to the real solution and save these veterans from being held hostage to their terminal situations, which would not be terminal if we would dedicate ourselves to intervening and intervening soon on their behalf.

I thank my colleagues for letting me explain myself with respect to these service dogs, because they do a lot of good things, but we need to make sure our people are also given some support and independence by their not having to rely on dogs in the future.

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

Some recent years ago, Mr. Speaker, I rode with a K-9 handler and his dog in my district during a regular routine run, and he told me that his children regarded that dog as a sibling. The dog lived in the home of the Handler. Some days after I rode with him, I read where the dog had been struck by an automobile and killed. And I called my friend, and he made it clear to me that they had lost a family member, so I appreciate the gentleman's comments from Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, law enforcement officers face extraordinary danger each and every day, as we all know, in their service to our country in their quest to keep us all safe. For that I am sure we are all eternally grateful.

We should also be reminded of the very special service, the tremendous work, and the dedication to duty rendered by a very special partner in the protection of our safety and freedoms, the law enforcement service dog. These K-9s and their handlers risk their lives to make our communities and our country safe, protecting us from crime and from terrorism.

Using their heightened sensory abilities, these dogs oftentimes are able to detect narcotics, bombs, and other contraband that are not visible to humans. Law enforcement dogs participate in dangerous operations, sparing their human partners the danger of entering a dark and unsearched or unsecured building. Others are trained for and have proven to be very successful at locating missing persons or detecting human remains. These very special K-9s are becoming more and more visible at major transportation hubs, and can be seen daily right here on the Capitol grounds examining vehicles as they enter secured parking areas.

The role of the K-9's handler should not go unmentioned as well. While a police officer may work a particular shift and then go home, the job of a K-9 handler is a 24 hour a day commitment. The handler often cares for his or her dog even when the dog has retired from active service.

Many K-9s have died while valiantly protecting their handlers in the performance of their duties, not unlike the case I mentioned at the outset. The bond between a dog and their handler is great, and the sense of loss when a dog expires is even greater.

There are least 80 organizations at the local, regional, national, and international level devoted to law enforcement service dogs. The Connecticut Police Work Dog Association lists over 1,500 police and military service dogs that have died while ``in-service.'' Many of these were ``in the line of duty'' deaths. The individual stories of these dogs are inspiring and range from the very public event of the World Trade Center collapse of 9/11/01, where Sirius, a bomb-sniffing dog, perished when the building collapsed. The inscription on Sirius' steel bowl: ``I gave my life so that you may save others,'' sums up the loyalty and the dedication that is typical of these dogs to their handlers.

I urge my colleagues to join me and the gentleman from Tennessee in supporting this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1614) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that law enforcement service dogs and their handlers perform a vital role in providing for our Nation's security and should be recognized for their service.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1614 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that police service dogs and their handlers perform a critical role in ensuring our national security and deserve to be recognized for their service.

Federal, State, local, and military law enforcement agencies work with service dogs to perform a variety of tasks to prevent and solve crimes and to keep the public safe. Search and rescue dogs often perform a number of functions, such as searching for victims in avalanches, collapsed buildings, and people missing in the wilderness.

Service dogs are also used to capture escaped offenders or suspects from crime scenes. These dogs are trained to search for items bearing human scent and are utilized in crime scenes to find evidence thrown away by a suspect.

In addition, dogs are trained to search through buildings, cars, and luggage, and can alert on more than one kind of drug despite the best efforts of smugglers.

Law enforcement service dogs can be trained to alert on guns and bomb-making materials. And often these dogs deter dangerous crimes at sporting events, train stations, airports, and other places by their mere presence.

Due to the dangerous situations these dogs and their handlers are frequently put in, many dogs have given their lives in the performance of their duties.

Today, this resolution recognizes the extraordinary efforts and dedication of these service dogs and their handlers.

Mr. Speaker, my first bill I had as a State senator in 1983 was one to make it a crime to shoot a police service dog, and to make it such because to shoot the dog was really to shoot at law enforcement personnel to try to stop that policeman from having that dog in the pursuit of its duty, and the next bullet would be for the officer. Of course they are valuable and important.

I commend Mr. Coble for bringing this bill recognizing the contribution that these dogs make to our society and to police practices. I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) to speak on behalf of man's best friend.

I just want to thank Mr. Coble for bringing the bill.

As I said, I know from where he comes. That was my first bill. I started as a police attorney, and I know about police dogs and about the bonds between policemen and their K-9 companions. They do a tremendous service, and they ought to be protected and respected. I ask that we vote in unanimous support of this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.