Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WATCH SENATOR BINGAMAN DELIVER HIS STATEMENT ONLINE

"Each Veterans Day is an occasion when we, as a nation, reflect on and show gratitude to those who served or are currently serving in our military and their families, as well. On this Veterans Day, I'd especially like to thank New Mexico's veterans for their commitment to protect our country.

"New Mexicans have a long and proud history of military service, from the time of the Civil War to the modern conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the needs may be different, America's obligation to our veterans holds true regardless of whether one served in WWII, Vietnam or has only recently returned from a tour of duty. To honor this noble service, I am working with others in the Congress to ensure all our veterans continue to have access to quality and affordable health care, to receive full payment of their benefits, and that our veterans have the support they need to get a college education or other training to enter the nation's workforce.

"This Veterans Day, as American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan move to wind down their presence after a decade of war, it is especially important that we remember our obligation to them upon their return.  In October, the President announced that the remainder of our troops in Iraq will be coming home by the end of the year. Similarly, thousands of troops in Afghanistan will make the journey home to be reunited with their families and friends. In total, about 48,000 American soldiers will be returning home, many of whom will begin looking for employment.

"Like many Americans, New Mexican veterans continue to suffer from the challenging economic environment.  For example, twelve percent of veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan are currently unemployed - a rate substantially higher than the rest of the public is experiencing. This is simply unacceptable. Part of the solution to creating good paying jobs is through higher education, and the Post 9/11 GI Bill has provided those benefits to hundreds of thousands of veterans so far, just as the original GI bill did for veterans returning from WWII. However, there is much more that we can do in the immediate future.

"I am glad that this week the Senate answered the President's call for helping veterans find jobs by approving legislation that provides special tax credits for companies that hire unemployed veterans and veterans with service-connected disabilities. The bill also provides job training to all outgoing service members and one year of additional Montgomery GI benefits for 100,000 unemployed veterans who served before September 11th, 2001.  In approving this bill the Senate has demonstrated it is capable of working together to ensure our veterans receive the support they have earned.

"Today we honor the service of all of our veterans, but let us not limit our appreciation of their sacrifice to one day each year. To this end, I pledge to continue working in the Senate on their behalf, and once again extend my sincere thanks to veterans and their families for all the sacrifices they have made."