WASHINGTON — A bill introduced two months ago that would give veterans the opportunity to train service dogs to reduce the effects of mental health issues has yet to come to a vote, even though it should be a “no-brainer,” one of the Republican co-sponsors said Tuesday.
“It’s really simple: these service dogs can save lives, they can improve the veterans’ health, lower their incidence of mental health issues, reduce their amount of medication, give them their mobility back, and give them their lives back,” Ohio Republican Rep. Steve Stivers said at a news conference.
“… It’s a no brainer, if you ask me,” he said.
The measure has 136 co-sponsors, 45 Democrats and 91 Republicans.

Randy Powers, a veteran who served in the military for over 10 years, said after the news conference that before getting his service dog Morgan, he was only able to walk about 75 steps a day because of a spine injury. Since getting his service dog, Morgan, four years ago, he has upped his walking to 5 miles a day.
“The VA said I needed a wheelchair and I refused that,” Powers said. “In the four years I’ve had her, I’ve had four falls. All four times I’ve either left her at home or left her in my truck. So to say it doesn’t work, I’m here to argue otherwise.”
Morgan, who was at the news conference, has also helped Powers deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder in stressful situations like getting stuck in traffic, which causes him to get anxious.