United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

The standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning U.S. military veterans. Jurisdiction^[1] includes retiring and disability pensions, life insurance, education (including the G.I. Bill), vocational training, medical care, and home loan guarantees. The committee oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans' hospitals, and veterans' cemeteries, except cemeteries under the Secretary of the Interior.

The Veterans' Affairs Committee does not have legislative jurisdiction^[1] over the following issues:

Tax status of veterans benefits and contributions to Veterans Service Organizations (Committee on Ways and Means);
Military retiree issues, including COLA's and disability pay (Committee on Armed Services);
CHAMPUS and Tri-Care (Committee on Armed Services);
Survivor Benefit Program (Committee on Armed Services);
Veterans Preference in Federal civil service hiring practice (Committee on Government Reform and Oversight);
Congressional charters for veterans service organizations (Committee on Judiciary);
Immigration issues relating to veterans (Committee on Judiciary); and
Issues dealing with Prisoners of War (POWs) and service members missing in action (MIAs) (Committee on Armed Services)

The committee was created by Section 121(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (Public Law 79-601), which authorized a standing committee of 27 members.

Past and current chairs

1947–1949: Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA)
1949–1953: John Elliott Rankin (D-MS)
1953–1955: Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA)
1955–1973: Olin E. Teague (D-TX)
1973–1975: William Jennings Bryan Dorn (D-SC)
1975–1981: Herbert Ray Roberts (D-TX)
1981–1995: Gillespie V. Montgomery (D-MS)
1995–2001: Bob Stump (R-AZ)
2001–2005: Chris Smith (R-NJ)
2005–2007: Steve Buyer (R-IN)
2007–2011: Bob Filner (D-CA)
2011–2017: Jeff Miller (R-FL)
2017–2019: Phil Roe (R-TN)
2019–2023: Mark Takano (D-CA)
2023–present: Mike Bost (R-IL)

Members, 118th Congress

Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 14 (Chair), H.Res. 15 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 79 (D), H.Res. 80 (R)

Subcommittees

Past committee rosters

117th Congress

Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 9 (Chair), H.Res. 10 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 62 (D), H.Res. 63 (R), H.Res. 92 (D), H.Res. 111 (D), H.Res. 602 (R), H.Res. 902 (D), H.Res. 1197 (R)

According to committee members' official online biographies, ten (Banks, Bergman, Brown, Ellzey, Gallego, Lamb, Luria, Miller-Meeks, Nehls and Sablan) of the thirty-one members are veterans.

Subcommittees

116th Congress

Sources: H.Res. 24 (Chair), H.Res. 25 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 57 (D), H.Res. 68 (R), H.Res. 148 (D), H.Res. 712 (D)

According to committee members' official online biographies, thirteen (Banks, Bergman, Bost, Cisneros, Dunn, Lamb, Luria, Peterson, Roe, Rose, Sablan, Steube, Watkins) of the twenty-eight members are veterans.

Subcommittees

115th Congress

Sources: H.Res. 6 (Chair), H.Res. 45 (D), H.Res. 51 (R), H.Res. 52 (D), H.Res. 833 (D)

According to committee members' official online biographies, eleven (Banks, Bergman, Bost, Coffman, Dunn, Higgins, Lamb, Roe, Sablan, Walz, Wenstrup) of the twenty-five members are veterans.

114th Congress

Resolutions electing Republican members: H.Res. 6 (Chairs)
Resolutions electing Democratic members: H.Res. 7, H.Res. 30, H.Res. 40 and H.Res. 77

References

^ a b "House Committee on Veterans Affairs". veterans.house.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
^ "Chairman Bost Announces 118th Congress Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee Chairs". House Committee on Veterans Affairs. January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
^ "Ranking Member Takano Announces Vice Ranking Member and Subcommittee Assignments and Ranking Members for the 118th Congress | The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs". democrats-veterans.house.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^ Horseman, Jeff (11 July 2016). "CONGRESS: Corrine Brown indictment makes Mark Takano ranking Democrat on veterans' affairs committee". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 14 July 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Archive)
House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
United States Department of Veterans' Affairs
[1]House Veterans' Affairs Committee Hearings and Meetings Videos
Active legislation passing through the Committee on Veterans' Affairs can be found here