[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 217 (Monday, November 15, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 63303-63305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25036]



[[Page 63301]]

Vol. 86

Monday,

No. 217

November 15, 2021

Part IV





The President





-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Proclamation 10305--Veterans Day, 2021
 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 217 / Monday, November 15, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 63303]]

                Proclamation 10305 of November 9, 2021

                
Veterans Day, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                For generations, millions of Americans have answered 
                the call to serve--taking the sacred oath to defend and 
                preserve our Nation's ideals of liberty and democracy. 
                These patriots represent the best of us. On Veterans 
                Day, we honor their service, dedication, and valor and 
                are forever grateful for their sacrifice.

                Our Nation has only one truly sacred obligation: to 
                properly prepare and equip our service members when we 
                send them into harm's way and to care for them and 
                their families when they return home. For our 19 
                million veterans, that means ensuring that they have 
                access to the support and resources for a future of 
                security, opportunity, and dignity. This is even more 
                important as we continue to recover from the global 
                COVID-19 pandemic.

                Our obligation to support our Nation's veterans and 
                their families is personal for me and the entire Biden 
                family, and I remain committed to ensuring that every 
                veteran receives the care and support they have earned. 
                The recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure 
                Investment and Jobs Act will create millions of good 
                jobs for veterans and grow opportunities for veteran-
                owned businesses. My Build Back Better framework also 
                prioritizes improvements to VA health care, ensuring 
                that every veteran--including our often-underserved 
                female and LGBTQ+ veterans--receives competent, world-
                class health care through the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs. Last month, the White House Gender Policy 
                Council released the first-ever United States Strategy 
                for Gender Equity and Equality, which included the 
                unique needs and contributions of women service members 
                and veterans. And the Department of Veterans Affairs is 
                also working to get every eligible veteran the 
                information and opportunity they need to register and 
                vote, protecting their voice in the democracy they 
                fought to preserve.

                Ensuring veterans have timely access to services and 
                benefits is at the center of my Administration's 
                commitment to fulfilling our sacred obligation. This 
                includes addressing the adverse health effects of 
                service-related exposures. In August, the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs announced it will begin processing 
                disability claims for respiratory conditions connected 
                to exposure during military service in Southwest Asia 
                and other areas. My Administration also added three 
                conditions to the list of those presumptively 
                associated with exposure to Agent Orange, ending the 
                long wait for disability benefits for many Vietnam era 
                veterans. In the coming months, we are committed to 
                taking additional action to address potential adverse 
                health effects associated with military environmental 
                exposures.

                So many of our veterans carry the scars from their 
                service--both visible and invisible--and it is our 
                Nation's responsibility to help them heal. Too many 
                veterans and service members have considered suicide or 
                taken their own lives, and addressing this tragedy is a 
                national responsibility. That is why I have made 
                military and veteran suicide prevention a top priority, 
                and earlier this month, I released a new comprehensive, 
                cross-sector public health strategy to reduce military 
                and veteran suicide. Implementing this approach will 
                unite us around a common mission and accelerate 
                meaningful

[[Page 63304]]

                improvements in suicide prevention programs, helping us 
                live up to our sacred obligation to those who have 
                served in our Nation's Armed Forces.

                Fulfilling our Nation's promise to our veterans and 
                military families, caregivers, and survivors is not 
                only a moral imperative--it is crucial to our national 
                security and to maintaining the finest military the 
                world has ever known. We are a Nation that keeps our 
                promises. That is why my Administration is dedicated to 
                a whole-of-government approach in responding to the 
                needs of our veterans and their families, caregivers, 
                and survivors.

                Through the First Lady's work with Joining Forces--the 
                White House initiative to support veteran and military 
                families, caregivers, and survivors--my Administration 
                is addressing employment and entrepreneurship, military 
                and veteran child education, and health and well-being 
                for veteran families. Earlier this year, the First Lady 
                met with military and veteran families to learn how we 
                can better support and prioritize their needs, and in 
                September, Joining Forces and the National Security 
                Council released a report outlining the first round of 
                Administration-wide commitments and proposals that 
                support veteran and military families, caregivers, and 
                survivors. These efforts will honor our sacred 
                obligation to support our veteran families and ensure 
                they receive the resources they need to thrive.

                On Veterans Day, we honor our Nation's veterans, who 
                have given so much to protect our freedoms and the 
                freedom of others around the globe. They represent the 
                highest ideals of our country. While we can never fully 
                repay the debt we owe these heroes, we will honor their 
                service and provide them the care and support they 
                deserve. We also salute and show gratitude for all who 
                ensure our Armed Forces remain strong, united, and 
                unmatched.

                In respect and recognition of the contributions our 
                veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors 
                have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the 
                world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) 
                that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a 
                legal public holiday to honor our Nation's veterans.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, do hereby proclaim 
                November 11, 2021, as Veterans Day. I encourage all 
                Americans to recognize the valor, courage, and 
                sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate 
                ceremonies and private prayers. I call upon Federal, 
                State, and local officials to display the flag of the 
                United States of America and to participate in 
                patriotic activities in their communities. And I call 
                on all Americans, including civic and fraternal 
                organizations, places of worship, schools, and 
                communities, to support this day with commemorative 
                expressions and programs.

[[Page 63305]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-25036
Filed 11-12-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P