Homeland Security Legislation Mandates Uniform K-9 Standards

Canine detection teams are a critical element in increased demand for explosive detection since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, leading to the introduction of new bipartisan legislation in Congress.

In response to this increased need, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, ranking Republican and Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.), chairman, of the House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight joined together with full committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking Republican Peter King of New York to introduce H.R. 659, the "Canine Detection Improvement Act of2007."

This legislation addresses the need for improved and coordinated training, encourages the use of domestic dogs and confronts the need formore dogs by establishing a "Domestic Canine Breeding Grant Program" to increase canine numbers through both public and private means, the lawmakers say. Most importantly, the bill creates a canine team accreditation board to ensure proper certification standards and to prevent fraud and abuse, they add.

"Canine Detection Teams are critical to keeping America safe. This legislation is an important first step to ensuring that the supply of trained dogs will meet the nation's demand," says Thompson.

"This bipartisan, common sense legislation should help increase the use of domestically-bred dogs and support the work of canine breeding programs. Currently, the vast majority of these dogs are purchased in Europe, but by increasing domestic breeding we lower the costs of acquiring these dogs and ensure there are a sufficient number available for U.S. detection team training," Rogers adds.

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Many GOP Senators Also Not Enthusiastic About Surge

Some Republican senators are joining Democrats in criticizing the plan President Bush announced last week to surge the number of U.S. troops in Iraq by more than 20,000.

Sectarian violence has increasingly plagued Iraq since the U.S. invasion four years ago. More than 3,000 Americans have lost their lives in the conflict. President Bush's approval ratings have fallen dramatically, due in large part to his handling of the Iraq war.

The U.S. Senate last week questioned senior administration officials about the plan to send the additional troops to Iraq to try to control the situation.

Sen. Sam Brownback, Republican from Kansas and a potential 2008 GOP presidential candidate, said in comments from Baghdad said escalation is not the answer to the conflict.

"I do not believe that sending more troops to Iraq is the answer. Iraq requires a political rather than a military solution," Brownback said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Sen. Jim Bunning, Republican from Kentucky, is also skeptical of sending more U.S. troops.

"You bet I'mskeptical ... I would rather see us maintain our current level and get themout of harm's way and put Iraqi security forces in harm's way," Bunning told the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper.

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman says he opposes President Bush's escalation plan.

"And to put the lives of Americans soldiers -- more, in the center of that, without first having something that's substantial, something we can point to, other than this sense of trust, other than looking someone in the eye, having a conversation. I'm not prepared, at this time, to support that. It's -- the cost is too great," the lawmaker from Minnesota said in a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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