President Joe Biden reflected on what he often calls America’s one true “sacred obligation” as he marked Veterans Day on Monday, participating in the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and delivering remarks at Memorial Amphitheater. 

“We have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation, sacred: to prepare those we send into harm's way and to care for them and their families when they return home and when they don't,” Biden said during his remarks on Monday. “It's an obligation, not based on party or politics, but on a promise that unites us all.” 

Vice President Kamala Harris stood alongside Biden for the wreath laying ceremony Monday morning in what marked her first appearance in public since conceding the 2024 presidential race to President-elect Donald Trump. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and first lady Jill Biden were also present for the ceremony. The first lady joined her husband in hosting veterans for breakfast at the White House Monday morning. 

Biden touted a series of recent announcements from his administration intended to boost access to benefits for veterans exposed to toxins during service as well as educational experiences for those who served. 

The Department of Education on Monday announced it is distributing $9 million to 13 recipients in an effort to facilitate the success of veterans in postsecondary education. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs in recent weeks announced a new push that seeks to allow for the presumption that four types of cancer – bladder, ureter, multiple myeloma, and leukemias – are related to exposure to burn pit exposure for those deployed to the Southwest Asia area. The department is also moving to create a presumption specifically for Gulf War deployed veterans who are diagnosed with rare conditions. 

“For all veterans who served at K2 Air Base in Uzbekistan, constantly surrounded by toxins, we want to honor you, we want to have your back,” Biden proclaimed on Monday regarding the new efforts, adding the rule will “make sure you don't have to prove your illness as a consequence of your service, which is often too hard to do.” 

The president added his administration is committed to “getting this rule in place by the end of my term.”  

The president has less than three months left in office and his remarks came as he is looking to cement his legacy after a more than five-decade-long career in politics. The issue of veteran care has been a focus as it is personal for Biden, who often speaks about the deployment of his late son Beau Biden to Iraq. 

“It's been the greatest honor of my life to lead you, to serve you, to care for you, to defend you, just as you defended us, generation after generation after generation,” Biden said on Monday. “You are the greatest fighting force – that is not hyperbole – the finest fighting force in the history of the world.”

The president, who made the issue a key part of his “unity agenda” when he took office in 2021, noted on Monday that he has signed more than 34 bipartisan bills addressing challenges facing veterans since he took office. He stressed that he is “particularly proud” of the PACT Act – a bipartisan bill he signed in Aug. 2022 that seeks to boost health care and disability compensation for those exposed to toxic substances like burn pits while serving the nation. 

The president has long held that his late son’s exposure to burn pits while in Iraq is what led to the brain cancer that took his life in 2015. (There isn't evidence to support his belief, though there isn't any to refute it either.)

Biden on Monday also touted his administration’s efforts to reduce veteran suicide and homelessness. The president cited new data that it says shows a significant reduction in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness, including a 7.5% reduction since last year and a 55.6% reduction since 2010. 

As Biden stares down the final weeks of his presidency, he is preparing to hand the Oval Office over to his predecessor, who the president has often criticized specifically for his rhetoric around veterans, including Trump reportedly referring to them as “suckers and losers.” The president-elect has vigorously denied this despite confirmation from his former chief of staff, John Kelly. 

Biden on Monday also specifically mentioned the service of the late Republican Sen. John McCain, who was captured during the Vietnam War. Trump has often slammed the former Arizona senator. 

“This is the moment, this is the moment to come together as a nation, keep faith in each other,” Biden said on Monday. “The world is dependent on each of you and all of us – all of you – to keep honoring the women and the men and the families who born the battle, to keep protecting everything they fought for.”