Hi, everybody. This week, America came together to salute1 our veterans -- to express our appreciation3 to all who served so that we might live free. But our gratitude4 should extend beyond what our veterans have done for us in the past. It should remind us of our responsibility to serve them as well as they have served us. It should compel us to keep our veterans central to the ongoing5 work of this nation.
In recent years, we've made historic investments to boost the VA budget, expand veterans' benefits, and improve care for our wounded warriors6. We've now slashed7 the disability claims backlog8 by nearly 90 percent from its peak. We're reducing the outrage9 of veterans' homelessness and we've helped tens of thousands of veterans get off the streets. The veterans' unemployment rate is down to 3. 9 percent -- even lower than the national average.
Of course, we're not satisfied. We've still got more work to do -- and I've directed my Administration to keep doing everything it can to fulfill10 our promise to our veterans. But this isn't just a job for government alone. We all have a role to play. Less than one percent of Americans are serving in uniform. So it's true most Americans don't always see and appreciate the incredible skills and assets that our veterans can o
