WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) — The White House will acknowledge Veterans Day on Wednesday by announcing new administration initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for American servicemen and women.
In a conference call with reporters, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz and Deputy Chief of Staff for Implementation Kristie Canegallo said the Obama administration places a high priority on caring for the nation’s veterans — both during and after they leave the armed forces.
The officials acknowledged five pillars involved in White House efforts that they say reflects the president’s commitment to making veterans’ civilian lives as beneficial and important as their military existence.
The five pillars focus on various aspects of health care, medicine, homelessness, economic opportunity and resources — all of which, they said, have improved under Obama’s leadership and will continue to improve with new efforts going forward.
The officials said Obama responded swiftly to the controversy that emerged at the Veterans Health Administration 18 months ago, when it was revealed that numerous veterans had died while awaiting medical care at V.A. hospitals.
The Obama administration, they said, has reduced the crisis-level backlog by about 90 percent and has submitted additional reforms to Congress.
Veterans’ homelessness is another priority for the White House. Tens of thousands of fewer vets are on streets nationwide, Muñoz said, as a result of administration efforts and state and local governments, led by Virginia, are pushing to completely end veteran homelessness in the near future.
Educational and professional efforts, they added, have also aided in getting veterans educated and put to work — thanks to nearly $60 billion dollars that have so far been spent to reduce the veteran unemployment rate to below 4 percent nationwide.
An agreement between the Veterans Affairs Department and the Federal Trade Commission and offering in-state tuition rates to veterans at colleges in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are two more examples, the officials said, of the administration’s commitment to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Muñoz said the White House’s efforts are designed to ensure that “veterans have the assistance they need to grow our economy, grow their careers and achieve american dream.”
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