>> thank you very much, chairman schapiro. i propose a toast. to the country we love, to the men and women who defend her and to that faith, that fundamental american faith that says no mission is too hard, no challenge is too great, through tests and trials, we don't simply endure, we emerge stronger than before knowing that america's greatest days are

still to come. and they are great because of you. cheers. god bless you and your families and may god continue to bless those in uniform and the united states of ama. thank you very much, everybody. [ applause ] >> may dinner be served. >> president obama from wednesday toasting members of the military honoring iraq war veterans. coming up, a look at the issues affecting our soldiers as they return from war. next, president obama announces measures to help veterans find work. then eric shinseki talks about the 10.5% increase in spending next year. it will help veterans find jobs and reduce homele leslessnessho. we will speak with tom

tarantino. then a hearing on the availability of health services for returning soldiers suffering from mental trauma. president obama recently unveiled some proposals to help veterans return to work. he called on congress to increase funding for communities to hire veterans as police and firefighters. the president delivered these remarks at a fire station in arlington, virginia earlier this month. [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you. thank you, guys. thank you so much. good morning, everybody.

>> good morning. >> jacob thank you for that introduction. thank you for your service to the country. i want to announce the secretary of veterans affairs, rick shensheki. he is one of our finest veterans and an extraordinary leader when he was in our army. i also want to acknowledge interior secretary ken salazar who is in the house. [ applause ] >> and we're joined by another president. the international association of firefighters president harold schafberger is here. [ applause ] >> this is a fire station that holds special significance for our country.

on 9/11, the firefighters of this house were among the first to respond to the attack on the pentagon. you guys answered this nation's call during its hour of need. and in the years that followed, as americans went to war, some of you answered that call as well. today's 9/11 generation of veterans has already earned a special place in our history. our veterans and all the brave men and women who serve our country are the reason why america's military is the greatest in the history of the world. in the face of great odds and grave danger, they get the job done. they work as a team. they personify the very best that america has to offer. and that's true on the battle

front, but we're here today because it's also true on the home front. after a decade of war, our nation needs to do some building right here in the united states of america. now this morning, we received more good news about our economy. in january, american businesses added another 257,000 jobs. the unemployment rate came down because more people found work. all together, we added 3.7 million new jobs over the last 23 months. now, these numbers will go up and down in the coming months. there are still far too many americans who need a job or need a job that pays better than the one they have now. the economy is growing stronger.

the recovery is speeding up. we've got to do everything in our power to keep it going. we can't go back to the policies that led to the recession and we can't let washington stand in the way of our recovery. we want washington to be helping with the recovery, not making it tougher. the most important thing congress needs to do right now is to stop taxes from going up on 160 million americans at the end of this month. they have to renew the payroll tax cut that they extended only for a couple of months. they need to pass the extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance and do it without drama and without delay and without linking it to some ideological side issues. they need to get it done. it shouldn't be that complicated. now is not the time for

self-inflicted wounds to our economy. now is the time for action. so i want to send a clear message to congress. do not slow down the recovery that we're on. don't muck it up. [ applause ] >> keep it moving in the right direction. [ applause ] beyond preventing a tax hike, we need to do a lot more to create an economy that is built to last. to restore american manufacturing. we need to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas and give that tax break to invest in workers and equipment in the united states of america. that makes a lot of sense. to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. we need to stop subsidizing

companies. we are not as dependent on foreign oil. to make sure our businesses don't have to move overseas to find skilled workers, we have to invest in education. and there is a reason we are here today. we need to make sure as our troops return from battle, they can find a job when they get home. that's what i want to talk about today. [ applause ] the war in iraq is over. the war in afghanistan is moving to a new phase. we are transitioning to afghan lead. in the past, over 3 million have transitioned into civilian life and more are joining them every

day. when they come home, they bring unparalleled skills and experience. folks like jacob, they saved lives in some of the toughest conditions. they moved tons of equipment over dangerous terrain. they tracked millions of dollars of military assets. they handled pieces of equipment that are worth tens of millions of dollars. they do incredible work. nobody is more skilled, more precise, more diligent, more disciplined. our veterans are some of the most highly trained and highly educated and skilled workers we have. these are workers every business should be competing to attract. these are the americans we want to keep serving here at home as we rebuild this country. we will do everything we can to make sure that when our troops come home, they come home to new

jobs and new opportunities and new ways to serve their country. now, this has been a top priority of mine since i came into office. already we helped 600,000 veterans and their family members go back to school on the post-9/11 gi bill. we hired over 120,000 veterans to serve in the federal government. we made it easier for veterans to access all sorts of employment services. we set up online tools to connect veterans with jobs with their skills. michelle and jill biden have matched the private sector to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families. and with the support of democrats and republicans, we put in place two new tax credits for companies that hire veterans. so these are all important

steps. we made progress. but we have to do more. there is more we can do. and in my state of the union address, i proposed a new initiative called the veterans job corps. to put veterans back to work and protecting and rebuilding america. today, we are laying out the details of the want to help communities hire more veterans as cops and firefighters. you guys have seen what a great job jacob is doing. there are a bunch of folks like that who could be doing that outstanding work across the country. it is not that easy these days to get a job at a firehouse. over the past few years, tight budgets have forced a lot of states and local communities to layoff a lot of first responders. now my administration, when i first came into office, one of the first things we did through

the recovery act was made sure states and local governments helped or got the help they needed to prevent some of the layoffs. thousands of jobs were saved across the country. harold and i were talking as we came over here. thousands of firefighter jobs were saved because of the actions we took, but budgets are still tight. that is a problem we need to fix. jobs that protect our families and communities should not be the first on the chopping block. over the past three years, my administration has made it possible for states to keep thousands of first responders on the job. today, we are announcing that communities that recruit veterans will be among the first in line when it comes to getting help from the federal government. and i know that is one thing, chief, you have been doing here in arlington. we want to prioritize veterans

and we want to help states and local communities to fire veterans in firehouses across the country. the second thing we want to do is connect up to 20,000 veteran was jobs that involve rebuilding local communities or national parks. that is why ken salazar is here as the interior secretary. he needs some help. and our veterans are highly qualified to help him. they have already risked their lives defending america. they should have the opportunity to rebuild america. we have roads and bridges in and around our national parks in need of repair. let's fix them. of course, congress needs to fund these projects. congress should take the money that we are no longer spending on war and use it to pay down the debt and improve the quality of life right here in the united

states of america and put our veterans to work. [ applause ] so, let's get more cops on the beat. let's get more rangers in the parks. let's get more firefighters on call and in the process, we will put more veterans back to work. it is good for our communities and good for our economy and it is good for our country. for veterans who want to do something else, maybe put their leadership skills to use starting a small business, we're going to start offering entrepreneurial training. we want to prepare you for battle and professional success when you come home. so, we should do all that we can to support our troops and veterans in helping them start a business and helping them get a foot hold in a fire station like this one and moving up the ranks

doing work like jacob has been doing. we should learn from them. we should remember from our veterans, those men and women in uniform, a lot like the firefighters in the fire station worked together. act as a team. finish the job. that's what we have to do when it comes to our nation's recovery. these are challenging times for america, but we faced challenging times before. on the grounds here, you have a stone from the pentagon and a beam from the world trade center. that reminds us of our resolve as a people. it reminds us that when we come together as one people and as one community, one nation, that we prevail. that's who we are. this is a nation that exists because generations of americans

work together to build it. this is a nation where out of many, we come together as one. those are the values that every veteran understands. those are values that this fire station understands. we have to make sure we return to those values. if we do, i guarantee you, it will remind everybody around the world that the united states is the greatest country on earth. thank you very much, everybody. god bless you.

[ applause ] coming up tonight in our look into issues affecting our nation's veterans, in a few

minutes, veterans affairs secretary eric shinseki will talk about the 2013 spending request. after that, we speak with tom tarantino about the rising unemployment among returning soldiers. and later, a hearing examining the availability of health services for veterans suffering from mental trauma. we're joined by rick maze, the army times congressional editor. you have been reporting a bit lately on the issue of veterans. what have you found? >> i found the problem is bad and it is not getting better. no matter what they really try to do in the administration and in congress and the states, the unemployment rate for veterans is stuck, particularly for young veterans. it could go higher considering trouble finding jobs. >> the real concern is over members of the national guard

and less so in the reserve, in particular. explain that a bit more. >> these are young people that are 24 years old and below. a lot of them did not have jobs before they deployed to iraq and afghanistan. when they go home, they still don't have jobs. they are showing up on the unemployment rates. unlike other people that have lost on the opportunity to have a strong skill that will help them right away, and they are left sort of without any help at the moment. >> why do the veterans of the regular service have a lower unemployment rate? >> well, in part because they are serving longer. they are going to stay in eight to ten years or older when they are looking for work. employers are more likely to hire people over the age of 24 than below. >> there is a hearing on capitol

hill next week focusing on this issue. >> they passed a large bill enacted in law last year. the vow to hire veterans act that has programs aimed at retraining them and help in the transition into civilian life. they are looking now for more things they can do along that way. how can you help people get maximum use of the g.i. bill and what job training and rehab programs do you need for disabled veterans. i think they will move swiftly on it. in an election year, having a large group of unemployed veterans is not something you want to face. >> they earmarked money on top of what the congress passed last year? >> congress passed authorization last year. they did not provide extra money. they are trying to do this on the cheap. in the $140 billion veterans budget for 2013, there is $1

billion in the va budget for president obama's initiative for the job corps. there are members of congress that proposed a conservation element where people go out and work on conservation projects. we have not seen the legislation. we don't know what that will do and how many jobs it will produce. >> an update from rick maze. thank you for joining us. since 9/11, about 2.4 million american personnel have been deployed to iraq, afghanistan or both as of august 30th, 2011. during that time, more than 1.3 million have returned to the national guard or reserves or left the military. the unemployment rate for afghanistan and iraq has fallen from 15.2% to 9.1%, but still exceeds 8.3% of americans

nationwide. the president recently proposed a 10.5% increase in spending next year. it will do for veterans returning from iraq and afghanistan and help them find jobs and reduce homelessness. eric shinseki appeared before the committee to testify on the budget request for 2013. this is an hour and ten minutes. >> i want to welcome secretary shinseki. thank you for coming here today to give your perspective on the department's fiscal year 2013 budget and 2014 advanced appropriation request. you are accompanied by steve marrow and allison hickey and dr. robert petzel. we also have todd graham in charge of the office of management and roger baker.

thank you all for joining us today. secretary shinseki, your remarks will appear in the record. >> thank you, madam chairman and committee members, thank you again. i look forward to this. this is the opportunity to extend the dialogue we have. thanks for the opportunity to present as you said, the 2013 budget and advanced appropriations for va. i can speak to that firsthand having worked personally the past three budgets with you. the president has demonstrated his respect for the 22 million veterans by signing another strong budget request for va. i thank the members for your

unwavering commitment and i'm here to answer your questions and seek your support on this budget request. i'd also like to acknowledge the representatives from the veteran service organization who are here today. i will tell you as we develop our budget, their insights and experience is helpful as we put together our arguments for resources. as we strive to continuously i hope -- improve our programs. i have a written statement which i ask to be submitted for the record. this hearing occurs at an important moments in our nation's history. i'm old enough to have experienced our return from vietnam and to have witnessed personally the end of the cold war. we are, again, in another period of transition and an important one. our troops have returned home

from iraq and their numbers are likely to decline over time. and history suggests as the chair indicated, va's requirements from these two operational missions will continue to grow for some time. long after the last combatant leaves afghanistan. maybe as much as a decade or maybe more. we must provide access to quality care, timely benefits and services and job opportunities for every generation of veterans. and the generation at hand is the one that comes home today from iraq and afghanistan. in the next five years, more than 1 million veterans are expected to leave military service. this generation relies on va at unprecedented levels. through september, 2011, of approximately