He was greeted with a rousing welcome, including cheers and a standing ovation.
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He called the nation’s commitment to its veterans a “sacred covenant”.
“I don’t use those words lightly”.
The critic headlines faced by Obama eventually led to the resignation of Army General Eric Shinseki, who was Obama’s first Veterans Affairs secretary. Democrat Hillary Clinton, too, has promised to overhaul the agency and bring more transparency.
The 21 million veterans in the United States, is now a leading block for November’s elections, for which both candidates have strongly addressed the issue. An estimated 750,000 veterans live in the Peach State, about 8 percent of Georgia’s total population. Obama is touting strides in reducing homelessness among military veterans as his administration reaches the halfway point in building a massive database on veterans’ health. The legislation’s fate is uncertain in this bitter, unpredictable election year.
“No war should ever be forgotten and no veteran should ever be overlooked”, he continued. I’ve got a friend from Miami fighting cancer who is getting awesome service. “I don’t know what can be done, though – if I was that smart, I’d be running for president”.
“No one has given more for our freedom and our security than our Gold Star families”, Obama said. I requested Sharon introduce me because I understood that our Gold Star families have made a sacrifice that most of us cannot even begin to imagine. “We will not stop until every veteran who fought for America has a home in America”.
The group reacted with strong applause.
The President said, “As Commander In Chief, I’m pretty exhausted of some folks trash talking America’s military and troops”. About 30 people attended the event, which cost more than $33,000 to attend.
The result of which, the President said, is veterans are receiving the care and benefits they deserve without having to waits years to get it.
Obama is expected to discuss health care, veteran benefits, expanding research in areas like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, as well as the administration’s efforts to educate and employ veterans.
For those of you who have forgotten, US president Barack Obama’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) director Eric Shinseki stepped down from his post in May 2014. He’s asking Congress to provide more funds for mental health care.
“I see a slight increase in veterans’ claims being processed”, said Steve Sanson, President of Veterans in Politics.
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While a backlog of disability claims that neared 610,000 in 2013 has been whittled to below 80,000, more than 450,000 appeals are pending. “I’ve spent a lot of time on the streets and I’ve spent a lot of time in shelters with veterans and I can tell you any one life we save is worth saving and is a worthy goal”. “When we really put our sweat and tears and put our shoulder to the wheel, we can make things better”.
