Economy

Supporting the Troops

Stats from ThinkProgress on homeless veterans:

50 percent: Rate at which veterans are more likely than other Americans to become homeless. The Obama administration has set a goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.

About 75,000: Number of veterans who are homeless on any given night, according to estimates from the Veterans Administration.

About 20,000: Number of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who were homeless in the past five years according to the Veterans Administration.

5.5 percent: Percentage of homeless vets who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan in the overall homeless population, according to the Veterans Administration.

In the bigger picture, a homeless American is a homeless American regardless of their previous station. But it's more of a tragedy when a veteran can't get a leg up on the system they defended with their life.

By the way, the Senate Republicans finally voted in favor of something the president proposed: tax incentives for businesses to hire veterans. Some good news amidst the chaos and brinksmanship.