President Biden commemorated Veterans Day Thursday.

Ben Burke Producer

Biden commemorates Veterans Day, legislation introduced to help vets

Nov 11, 2021

Ben Burke Producer

By Ben Burke (Producer)

In his first Veterans Day as president, Joe Biden announced an effort Thursday to better understand, identify and treat medical conditions suffered by troops deployed to toxic environments. The plan is also designed to make it easier for veterans to make claims based on their symptoms, to collect more data from troops who are suffering and to give veterans more time to make medical claims after symptoms develop.

“Exposure to contaminants and environmental hazards poses a major health concern for veterans of all generations,” the White House said in a fact sheet on the plan. “There are also gaps and delays in the scientific evidence demonstrating conclusive links between known exposures and health impacts, leaving many veterans without access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and high-quality treatment to address significant health conditions.”

The announcement came as President Biden traveled to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony and deliver Veterans Day remarks. The video above shows the ceremony and remarks.

“Our veterans represent the best of America. You are the very spine of America, not just the backbone, you’re the spine of this country,” Biden said. “And all of us, all of us owe you.”

Back in Washington, a group of Democratic lawmakers spent Veterans Day reviving an effort to pay the families of Black service members who fought in World War II but were denied or prevented from taking full advantage of benefits through the GI bill when they returned home. The GI Bill Restoration Act was introduced in the House by Reps. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) and Seth Moulton (D-MA). A Senate bill is expected to be introduced later this month by Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

“We all know the GI Bill lifted up a generation of WWII veterans and built the American century. It’s been called the most successful piece of legislation ever. But most Americans don’t know that many Black veterans were left out: denied benefits, denied homes, denied the generational wealth that comes from going to college,” Rep. Moulton said in a statement. “We can never fully repay those American heroes. But we can fix this going forward for their families.”

Tags: Joe Biden

Joe Biden, U.S. President: “Today we pay homage to the unrelenting bravery and dedication that distinguishes all those who’ve earned the title of American veteran. It’s an honor that not only a small percentage of Americans can claim, and one that marks those who are able to claim it as brothers and sisters, it’s a badge of courage that unites across all ages regardless of background, because to be a veteran is to have endured and survived challenges most Americans will never know. You’ve come through the trials and testing, braved dangers and deprivations, faced down tragic realities of war and death. You’ve done it for us. You’ve done it for America.”

“Our veterans represent the best of America. You are the very spine of America, not just the backbone, you’re the spine of this country. And all of us, all of us owe you. So on Veterans Day and every day, we honor that great debt and recommit ourselves to keeping our sacred obligation as a nation to honor what you’ve done. We have many obligations to our children, to our elderly, to those truly in need. But I’ve gotten in trouble way back when I was young senator for saying we only have one truly sacred obligation. We have many obligations, but one truly sacred obligation: to properly prepare those and equip those who we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families while they’re both deployed and when they return home. This is a lifetime sacred commitment. It never expires. And for me and for Jill and for the entire Biden family it’s personal.”

“Jill and I learned what it meant to pray every day for the safe return of someone you love, so many of you have done that. Our grandkids learned what it meant to have their dad overseas in a war zone instead of back at home for a year, tucking them into bed and reading that story every night. Thousands of Americans, tens of thousands have had that experience.”

“I want you to know that our administration is going to meet the sacred obligation that we owe you. We’re going to work with Congress, Republicans and Democrats together to make sure our veterans receive the world class benefits that they’ve earned, that meet the sacred, specific care, specific needs that they each individually need. That means expanding presumptive conditions for toxic exposure and particulate matter, including Agent Orange and burn pits. We’re going to keep pushing on this front to be more nimble and responsive, reviewing all the data and evidence to determine additional presumptive conditions to make sure our veterans don’t have to wait to get the care they need. It also means prioritizing mental health care as necessary to treat the invisible wounds that so many more veterans carry.”

“For us to keep faith with American veterans, we must never forget exactly what was given us, what each of them is willing to put on the line for us. We must never forget that it is the mighty arm of the American Warrior, never bending, never breaking, never yielding, generation after generation that secured for us the blessings of a nation that still stands today as a beacon of liberty, democracy and justice around the world. May God bless you all. God bless all American veterans, those who proudly earned that title and may God protect our troops. Thank you.”