it is why we refocused our efforts in afghanistan and went after al qaeda's leadership in the tribal regions, driving the taliban out of its strongholds. and training afghans forces, which are now in the lead for their own security. in just 4 months, we will complete our combat mission in afghanistan and america's longest war will come to a responsible end. and we honor every american who served to make this progress possible. [applause] every single one, especially the more than 2200 american patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in afghanistan to keep us safe. and now, as afghans continue to work towards the first democratic transfer of power in their history, afghan leaders need to make the hard compromises that are necessary to give the afghan people a future of security and progress. as we go forward, we will continue to partner with afghans so their country can never again be used to launch attacks

against the united states. [applause] as i have always made clear, the blows we have struck against al qaeda's leadership don't mean the end to the terrorist threat. al qaeda affiliates still target our homeland. we have seen that in yemen. other extremists threaten our citizens abroad, as we have seen most recently in iraq and syria. as commander-in-chief, the security of the american people is my highest priority, and that is why with the brutal terrorist group isil advancing in iraq, i have authorized targeted strikes to protect our diplomats and military advisors who are there. let me say it again -- [applause] american combat troops will not be returning to fight in iraq, will not allow the united states to be dragged back into another

ground war in iraq, is because ultimately it is up to the iraqis to bridge their differences and secure themselves. [applause] the limited strikes we are conducting have the necessary to protect our people, and that helped iraqi forces pushed back these terrorists. we have also been able to rescue thousands of men and women and children who are trapped on the mountain. our airdrops of food and water and medicine show american leadership at our best, and we salute the brave pilot and crews who are making us proud in the skies of iraq every single day. [applause] more broadly, the crisis in iraq underscores how we have to meet today's evolving terrorist threat, and the answer is not to send in large-scale military deployments that overstretch our military and lead to us occupying countries for a long

period of time and end up feeding extremism. rather, our military action in iraq has to be out of a broader strategy to protect our people and support our partners to take the fight to isil. we are strengthening our partners -- more military assistance to government and kurdish forces in iraq and moderate opposition in syria. we are urging iraqis to forge the kind of inclusive government that can ultimately be the antidote against terrorists. we are urging countries in the region and building an international coalition, including our closest allies, to support iraqis as they take the fight to these barbaric terrorists. today our prayers are with the foley family in new hampshire as they continue to grieve the brutal murder of their son and brother jim. our message to anyone who harms

our people is simple -- america does not forget, our reach is long, we are patient, justice will be done, we have proved time and time again that we will do what is necessary to capture those who harm americans, to go after those who harm americans. [applause] and we will continue to take direct action where needed to protect our people and to defend our homeland. rooting out a cancer like isil won't be easy and it will be quick, but tyrants and murderers before them should recognize that kind of hateful vision ultimately is no match for the strength and hopes of people to stand together for the security and dignity and freedom that is the birthright of every human being. so even as our war in afghanistan comes to an end, we will stay vigilant.

we will continue to make sure that our military has what it needs. as today's generation of service members keeps us safe, and as they come home, we have to meet our responsibilities to them as they meet their responsibility to america. [applause] so when i was here at the legion the three years ago, i said that the bond between our forces and our citizens has to be a sacred trust, and that for me, my administration, upholding our trust with our veterans is not just a matter of policy, it is a moral obligation. working together, we have made real progress.

think about it -- working with the legion and other veteran service organizations, we have been able to accomplish historic increases to veterans funding. we have protected her and -- we have protected veterans health care from washington politics with advanced appropriations. we have been able to make v.a. benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who did not have them before, including more vietnam vets who were exposed to agent orange. [applause] we have dedicated major new resources for mental health care. we have helped more than one million veterans and their families pursue their education under the post-9/11 g.i. bill. and moreover, as the legion and other veterans groups have said, once veterans get in the door, the care you receive from the v.a. is often very good. the specialized care is among the best in the world. and many of the hard-working folks at the v.a. are veterans themselves, veterans serving veterans. and we can never thank them enough for their good work.

but what we have come to learn is that the misconduct we have seen at too many facilities, with long wait times, folks cooking the books, is outrageous and inexcusable. [applause] as soon as it was disclosed, i got before the american people and i said we would not tolerate it, and we will not. i know the legion has been on the front lines across the country helping veterans who have been affected. i know bob is going to give you an update on the actions that we are taking. but what i want you to know

directly from me is that we are focused on this at the highest levels. we are going to get to the bottom of these problems, we are going to fix what is wrong, we are going to do right by you, we are going to do right by your families. that is a solemn pledge and commitment i'm making to you here. [applause] already we are making sure that those responsible for manipulating or falsifying records are held accountable. we are reaching out to veterans to get them into clinics. we are moving with reforms at the veterans health administration and to help get that done, you supported and congress passed and i signed into law the veterans access choice and accountability act, it means more resources to help the v.a. hire more doctors and nurses and staff. it means that if you live more than 40 miles from the v.a. facility and your doctors cannot see you close enough, we will help you go to a doctor outside

the v.a. we are instituting a new culture of accountability. bob doesn't play. bob likes to recall a cadet prayer from west point, which should be an ethos for all of us. choose the harder right over the easier wrong. if you engage in unethical practices or cover up a serious problem, you should be and will be fired. [applause] and by the way, if you blow the whistle on higher ups, because you have identified a legitimate problem, you should not be punished. you should be protected. [applause] so my bottom line is this -- despite all the good work that the v.a. does every day, despite

all the progress that we have made over the last several years, we are very clear eyed about the problems that are still there. those problems require us to regain the trust of our veterans and live up to our vision of a v.a. that is more effective and more efficient and that truly puts our veterans first, and i will not be satisfied until that happened. [applause] we are in the midst of a new wave of veterans. more than one million service members returning to civilian life. we have to uphold that not just this year and next year but for decades to come. we are going to have to stay focused on the five priorities i outlined last year and i want to reiterate them, so you know what it is we are committing to.

number one, we need to make sure our veterans have the resources you deserve, and the new funding we just passed with the help of senators burr and hagan, that helps. but as you know, it is not enough. even these tough fiscal times, i propose another increase in veterans funding for next year, and i will continue to resist any effort to exploit the problems of the v.a. to turn health care into a voucher system. you don't need vouchers, you need health care you can depend on. [applause] way to make the system work. second, we need to make sure that veterans are getting the health care you need when you need it. reforming the vha, with more doctors and staff, is a good step. but with this new wave of veterans, we need the care that our newest veterans need the

most, with care that fits women veterans with respect and dignity. it means doing more to help -- [applause] it means doing even more to help veterans from all wars who are struggling with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. we have to end this tragedy of suicide among our troops and veterans. as a country -- [applause] we can't -- we can't stand idly by on such tragedy. so we are doing even more. more than ever, more awareness, more outreach, more access to mental health care. so long as any service member or veteran is suffering, or feels like they have nowhere to turn, or doesn't get the support that they need, that means we haven't done enough. we all know we need to do more.

veterans called for it, we heard you, which is why today i am announcing 19 new executive actions to help improve mental health care for those american heroes and their families. [applause] so just one example -- we are expanding suicide prevention training across the military and the v.a., so colleagues and clinicians can spot warning signs and encourage veterans to seek help. we will improve access to care, with more peer support, veterans counseling veterans. we are calling on congress to make sure our troops get coverage for mental health care that is on par with other medical conditions. we will make it easier for service members being treated for mental health conditions to continue their care as they transition to the v.a.,

so automatically connecting them with the support they need and making sure they don't lose access to any medications they may be taking. maybe most of all, we are going to keep saying about include tokeep saying loud and clear anyone out there who is hurt, is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, it is a sign of strength. talk to a friend, pick up the phone, you're not alone, we are here for you and every american needs to know that if you see someone in uniform or a veteran who is struggling, reach out and help them to get help. they were there for america, we now need to be there for them. [applause] our third priority, we have to keep attacking the disability claims backlog. the good news is that since its peak last year we have worked with you to slash the backlog by more than 50%.

partially because of an influx of new veterans, partially because we open it up to people with ptsd, folks with agent orange symptoms, we had to work at backlog back down. the trendlines are good. but we don't just want those claims processed fast. we need to make sure they get processed right. we are going to keep at this until we end this backlog once and for all, and as we do, we will keep working to liberate you from the mountain of paper. we have got to move towards a paperless system, electronic health records that our troops and veterans can keep for life and that can cut down on some of the bureaucratic red tape so you get the benefits you have earned a little bit faster. [applause] number four, we need to uphold the dignity and rights of every veteran, and that includes ending the tragedy of homelessness among veterans. [applause] again, we have got good news to

report. today, i can announce that working together over the past few years we have been able to reduce the number of homeless veterans by one third, and that means -- [applause] on any given night there are 25,000 fewer veterans on the streets or in shelters. but we are not going to stop until every veteran who has defended america has hope in in america. that is a basic commitment that we have to uphold. we need to make sure our veterans have every opportunity to pursue the american dream, and that includes a home of their own. under the law, our service members are entitled to reduce d mortgage rates. but the burden is on them to ask for it and prove they are eligible, which means a lot of folks don't get the low rates they deserve. today we are turning that around and announcing a new partnership in which america's biggest banks

and financial institutions will simplify the process, proactively notify service members who qualify for lower rates, and in other words, we are going to help more of our troops and military families own their own home without questioning them. -- without a crushing debt. [applause] we are also going to keep helping our troops transition to civilian life. because of the work we have done together, if you have a military truck drivers license, every state has the skills test so it is easy for you to get a commercial drivers license. [applause] we will keep pushing more states to recognize the incredible skills and training of our veterans. if you can do a job in a war zone, if you are a medic in a war zone, you shouldn't have to go take nursing 101 to work in a hospital in the united states. [applause]

if you can handle million-dollar pieces of equipment in a war zone, that should count for something in getting certified back here at home. if you can do some of the jobs you have done in a most extreme circumstances, i'm confident you can do that here at home. [applause] to help our troops and veterans pursue education, we have worked with loan servicers to automatically cap interest rates on student loans to our service members at 6%. for veterans going back to school under the post-9/11 g.i. bill, we will keep standing up against dishonest recruiting and predatory practices that target and prey on you and your families. 600 colleges and universities have pledged to do right by our veterans. more than 1000 colleges and

universities have adopted our eight keys to make sure that they are truly welcoming veterans and helping them succeed on campus. every school in america should join them. you should be proud if you are educating a veteran and you should be doing right by them. [applause] and we are going to keep helping our veterans find those jobs worthy of your incredible talents. our new online veterans employment center is a new one-stop shop connecting veterans and spouses to more than 1.5 million jobs that are open right now. we are joining with states and local leaders to identify nearly two dozen cities and regions with the most opportunities for veterans. and with michelle and dr. jill biden meeting the call, businesses are leading efforts to train veterans and spouses. more than half a million so far and growing. veterans unemployment is going

down, and now it is lower than the national average. it was higher to begin with, and we have been driving it down, but we have more to go, especially for our post-9/11 veterans. we will keep saying to every business in america, if you want somebody who knows how to get the job done no matter what the mission, hire a veteran. hire a vet. [applause] so fixing what is broken at the v.a., ensuring the resources you deserve, delivering the health care you have earned, eliminating the backlog, standing up for your rights and dignity, helping you realize the american dream that you so honorably defended, these are our commitments to you. this is what we focused on. this is what we can do together. especially as our war in afghanistan comes to an end and

we welcome home our newest veterans, there are a lot of them here tonight. we salute captain scott miller of indiana, a proud hoosier and a proud marine. in afghanistan he went out on dangerous patrols traveling to remote villages, meeting with tribal elders, building trust, forging partnerships to push back insurgents, and here at the legion he continues to serve by encouraging businesses across america to get back to the veterans who defended our way of life and make our prosperity possible, so thank you, scott. where is scott here today? we are proud of him. there he is. [applause] we salute master sergeant carol barker of greensboro, north

carolina. as a first sergeant on her medevac unit, she was responsible for more than 100 troops, helped save the lives of our wounded warriors in those critical first hours when life so often hung in the balance. here at the legion, she continues to serve helping homeless veterans come in off the streets and begin their lives anew with a roof over their heads. thank you, carol. where is carol? [applause] we joe grassy, who grew up just outside new york city, after his home town was attacked on 9/11, he left the civilian job and joined the army. a squad leader in afghanistan, he spent most of his time in the 120-degree heat supplying our helicopter crews, and here at the legion he continues to serve helping veterans complete their disability claims, raising a voice in washington for a strong national defense, because he says that some things are worth fighting for, america is

worth fighting for. thank you, joe. we are proud of you. thank you, sir. [applause] scott, carol, joe -- they are among the patriots here today who served in afghanistan and iraq. i would ask all of our post-9/11 generation veterans to stand if you are able and accept the thanks of a grateful nation. i ask these men and women to stand because the american people have to know that even as our war in afghanistan comes to an end, our obligation to this generation of veterans has only just begun and this cannot just be the work of government and veterans groups alone. i want every american to take this commitment seriously. please stand, post-9/11 generation, all of you who have served in afghanistan and iraq. we are grateful for you. [applause]

this is not just a job of government. it is not just a job for the veterans organization. every american is to join us in taking care of those who take care of us. only 1% of americans may be fighting our wars, but 100% of americans benefit from that 1%. 100% need to be supporting our troops. 100% need to be supporting our veterans. 100% need to be supporting our military families. [applause] and everybody can do something. every american, every business, every profession, every school, every community, every state, all of us as one american team, that is how we will truly honor our veterans, that is how we

will truly say thank you, and that is how we will uphold the sacred trust with all who served in our name. god bless you, god bless our veterans, god bless the united states of america. thank you very much. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute] ♪

>> issue spotlight with in-depth look at veterans health care, irs oversights, student loan debt, and campus sexual assault, new perspectives on issues including local warming, voting rights, fighting infectious disease, and food safety, and our history tour showing sights and sounds from america's historic places. find our tv schedule one week in advance at c-span.org and let us know what you think about the programs you are watching. call us at 202-626-3400 or e-mail us at comments@c-span.org.

join the conversation -- like us on facebook, follow us on twitter. >> on this morning's "washington journal," we will get an update on the recent v.a. inspector general's report and take your calls. immigrationral judges were discussed the recent influx of unaccompanied children into the u.s. and the effect of this to the court to handle their cases. after that, a congressional budget office news conference on the u.s. economic outlook. that is live at 11:00 eastern. this afternoon, "new york times" reporter anthony rosenberg was expelled by the afghan government will be at the national press club. live coverage at 2:00 eastern. coming up this hour, we will talk to business and economics correspondent danielle kurtz leben about the cost of raising a child in the u.s. philips joins us.

he is the ceo of a campaign technology firm. you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter.