Obama signs bill expanding supports to veterans’ caregivers

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President Obama has signed a bill that aims to keep severely wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in their homes by providing billions of dollars in support to family members who care for them.

At a bill-signing event at the White House on Wednesday, Obama said the government’s responsibility to take care of veterans and their families is a “moral obligation.”

The bill instructs the Veterans Affairs Department to offer post-delivery care to female veterans’ newborns and create a child-care pilot program. It also includes expanded funding for programs assisting homeless and rural veterans.

The price tag over five years is an estimated $3.7 billion.

Under the legislation, caregivers of the estimated 2,000 severely wounded veterans from the recent conflicts can receive training, a monthly stipend and healthcare.

-- Associated Press