The Biden and Harris administrations announce record low numbers of homeless veterans nationwide, expand eligibility for disability benefits, and set a record for care and benefits provided to veterans under President Joe Biden's unity agenda.
President Biden believes the U.S. has a sacred duty to care for veterans and their families. Simply put, he has a debt to them that he can never fully repay. Supporting those who wear the uniform is a commitment that unites all Americans, which is why the President has made supporting veterans one of the main pillars of his agenda to unite the nation. Since taking office, President Biden has signed more than 34 bipartisan bills that address some of the most important issues facing veterans today, including the PACT Act, the most significant expansion of benefits and services for veterans exposed to toxic substances in more than 30 years. The Biden and Harris administrations and Congress have worked together to expand access to health care, address veteran homelessness, improve access to child and long-term care, and promote education and employment opportunities for veterans and their families.
On Veterans Day this year, President Biden announced that his administration has provided more benefits and health care faster and to more veterans than ever before. In 2024 alone, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provided 6.7 million veterans and survivors with $187 billion in deserved benefits and processed a record 2.51 million disability claims. VA provided more than 131 million medical exams, over 6 million dental procedures, and provided services and assistance to more than 88,095 family caregivers. Veterans' confidence in VA also reached an all-time high in 2024.
The Administration is building on this historic progress by announcing new measures to address veterans' toxic exposures, including expanding the types of cancers considered presumptive for VA disability benefits. New data was also released today showing that veteran homelessness has reached an all-time low, reducing the number of homeless veterans by 7.5 % in the last year alone and by 55.6 % percent since 2010. In addition, the Department of Education is announcing $9 million in funding to support student veterans.
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