Senator Amy Klobuchar Speaks with Veterans in East Grand Forks

• Senator Amy Klobuchar

East Grand Forks, ND (WDAY TV) -- A Minnesota lawmaker worries a lack of federal funds is leading to drastic problems for veterans. Homelessness and unemployment. Senator Amy Klobuchar met with vets and East Grand Forks city leaders to discuss those challenges.

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East Grand Forks, ND (WDAY TV) -- A Minnesota lawmaker worries a lack of federal funds is leading to drastic problems for veterans. Homelessness and unemployment. Senator Amy Klobuchar met with vets and East Grand Forks city leaders to discuss those challenges.

Just two days after the senate passed a jobs act to help veterans find work.. Senator Amy Klobuchar wants area vets to know its importance to Minnesota.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: "24% of our soldiers that have come home since 9/11 don't have jobs. That is way higher than the average unemployment for our state. Our state tends to do better than the rest of the country, just like North Dakota."

Les Goodwin, Polk County Veterans Service Officer: "The job market is bad right now and they really can't find jobs. And they're coming back with all of these ailments, disabilities."

Senator Klobuchar believes more attention needs to be placed on the number of homeless veterans.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: "every night in Minnesota we have 700 homeless veterans."

Senator Klobuchar is currently working on a bill that will help homeless veterans. She says this is a growing problem in our nation and the bill has the support of numerous veterans organizations.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: "the bill will hopefully get right to the floor. We've had no objection so far from any veterans group because we're not adding more money, we're just allowing certain rural veterans to access money that's already there."

Area veterans were able to express their concerns at today's meeting.

Henry Tweten, City Council Member, WWII Vet: "is there going to be an attach on veterans benefits?" Amy: "I think the last thin we should be doing is balancing the budget on the backs of veterans."

Senator Klobuchar says those concerns are being heard.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: "instead of just words they always need action and that's why we've worked so hard with the Legion, with the VFW to make sure that we are reaching out to our veterans both young and old in a way that is going to help them."

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