The
standing
Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an ''erect'' ("orthostatic") position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the s ...
Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
s or amendments concerning U.S. military veterans. Jurisdiction
includes retiring and disability
pensions,
life insurance, education (including the
G.I. Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
), vocational training,
medical
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
care, and home
loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
guarantees. The committee oversees the
Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...
(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
The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other program ...
);
* 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
Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...
(MIAs) (
Committee on Armed Services)
The committee was created by Section 121(a) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (also known as the Congressional Reorganization Act, ch. 753, , enacted August 2, 1946) was the most comprehensive reorganization of the United States Congress in history to that date.
Background
The n ...
(
Public Law 79-601), which authorized a standing committee of 27 members.
Past and current chairs
The chairs of the committee:
* 1947–1948:
Edith Nourse Rogers
Edith Rogers (née Nourse; March 19, 1881 – September 10, 1960) was an American social welfare Volunteering, volunteer and politician who served in the United States Congress. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts ...
(R-MA)
* 1949–1952:
John Elliott Rankin
John Elliott Rankin (March 29, 1882 – November 26, 1960) was a Democratic politician from Mississippi who served sixteen terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1921 to 1953. He was co-author of the bill for the Tennessee Valle ...
(D-MS)
* 1953–1954: Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA)
* 1955–1972:
Olin E. Teague (D-TX)
* 1973–1974:
William Jennings Bryan Dorn
William Jennings Bryan Dorn (April 14, 1916 – August 13, 2005) was a United States politician from South Carolina who represented the western part of the state in the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1949 and from 1951 to 197 ...
(D-SC)
* 1975–1980:
Herbert Ray Roberts (D-TX)
* 1981–1994:
Gillespie V. Montgomery (D-MS)
* 1995–2001:
Bob Stump
Robert Lee Stump (April 4, 1927 – June 20, 2003) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Congressman from Arizona. He served as a member from the Democratic Party from 1977 to 1983 and then later a member of the Republican Party unt ...
(R-AZ)
* 2001–2004:
Chris Smith (R-NJ)
* 2005–2007:
Steve Buyer (R-IN)
* 2007–2011:
Bob Filner
Robert Earl "Bob" Filner (born September 4, 1942) is an American former politician who was the 35th mayor of San Diego from December 2012 through August 2013, when he resigned amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment. He later pleaded gui ...
(D-CA)
* 2011–2017:
Jeff Miller (R-FL)
* 2017–2019:
Phil Roe (R-TN)
* 2019–present:
Mark Takano
Mark Allan Takano ( ; born December 10, 1960) is an American politician and academic who has been the United States representative for California's 41st congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Takano became the firs ...
(D-CA)
Members, 117th Congress
Resolutions electing members: (Chair), (Ranking Member), (D), (R), (D), (D), (R), (D), (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
Past committee rosters
116th Congress
Sources: (Chair), (Ranking Member), (D), (R), (D), (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: (Chair), (D), (R), (D), (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: (Chairs)
Resolutions electing Democratic members: , , and
See also
*
United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans problems and issues.
Description
The committee was created in 1970 to transfer responsibilities for veterans from the Finance and Labor commi ...
*
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...
*
References
External links
House Committee on Veterans' AffairsArchive
House Veterans' Affairs Committee Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
United States Department of Veterans' Affairshttp://www.va.gov/index.htm House Veterans' Affairs Committee Hearings and Meetings Videos]
* Active legislation passing through the Committee on Veterans' Affairs can be foun
here
{{United States congressional committees
1947 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Committees of the United States House of Representatives
Military-related organizations
Organizations established in 1947
Veterans' affairs in the United States