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 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.
Veterans and other interested people may be surprised to learn that the Veterans' Affairs Committee does not have legislative jurisdiction 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
The chairs of the committee:
- 1947â€"1948: Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA)
- 1949â€"1952: John Elliott Rankin (D-MS)
- 1953â€"1954: Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA)
- 1955â€"1972: Olin E. Teague (D-TX)
- 1973â€"1974: William Jennings Bryan Dorn (D-SC)
- 1975â€"1980: Herbert Ray Roberts (D-TX)
- 1981â€"1994: Gillespie V. Montgomery (D-MS)
- 1995â€"2001: Bob Stump (R-AZ)
- 2001â€"2004: Chris Smith (R-NJ)
- 2005â€"2007: Steve Buyer (R-IN)
- 2007â€"2011: Bob Filner (D-CA)
- 2011â€"2017: Jeff Miller (R-FL)
- 2017: Phil Roe (R-TN)
Members
115th Congress
Sources: H.Res. 6 (Chair), H.Res. 45 (D), H.Res. 51 (R) and H.Res. 52 (D)
According to committee members' official online biographies, ten (Banks, Bergman, Bost, Coffman, Cook, Denham, Dunn, Roe, Walz, Wenstrup) of the twenty-one members are veterans.
Past committee rosters
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
Subcommittees
See also
- United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- List of current United States House of Representatives committees
- House Veterans' Affairs Committee Hearings and Meetings Videos
References
External links
- House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Archive)
- Veterans' Affairs Committee Democratic Webpage
- House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
- United States Department of Veterans' Affairs
- Active legislation passing through the Committee on Veterans' Affairs can be found here
