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.

Veterans and other interested people may be surprised to learn that the Veterans' Affairs Committee does not have legislative jurisdiction^[2] 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:

1947–1948: Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA)
1949–1952: John Elliott Rankin (D-MS)
1953–1954: Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA)
1955–1972: Olin E. Teague (D-TX)
1973–1974: William Jennings Bryan Dorn (D-SC)
1975–1980: Herbert Ray Roberts (D-TX)
1981–1994: Gillespie V. Montgomery (D-MS)
1995–2001: Bob Stump (R-AZ)
2001–2004: 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-present: Mark Takano (D-CA)

Members, 116th Congress

Majority	Minority
Mark Takano, California, Chair Julia Brownley, California Kathleen Rice, New York Conor Lamb, Pennsylvania, Vice Chair Mike Levin, California Max Rose, New York Chris Pappas, New Hampshire Elaine Luria, Virginia Susie Lee, Nevada Joe Cunningham, South Carolina Gil Cisneros, California Collin Peterson, Minnesota Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands Colin Allred, Texas Lauren Underwood, Illinois Anthony Brindisi, New York (since November 19, 2019)	Phil Roe, Tennessee, Ranking Member Gus Bilirakis, Florida Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa Mike Bost, Illinois Neal Dunn, Florida Jack Bergman, Michigan Jim Banks, Indiana Andy Barr, Kentucky Dan Meuser, Pennsylvania Steve Watkins, Kansas Chip Roy, Texas Greg Steube, Florida

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.

Past committee rosters

115th Congress

Majority	Minority
Phil Roe, Tennessee, Chair Gus Bilirakis, Florida, Vice Chair Mike Coffman, Colorado Brad Wenstrup, Ohio Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa Mike Bost, Illinois Bruce Poliquin, Maine Neal Dunn, Florida Jodey Arrington, Texas John Rutherford, Florida Clay Higgins, Louisiana Jack Bergman, Michigan Jim Banks, Indiana Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico	Tim Walz, Minnesota, Ranking Member Mark Takano, California, Vice Ranking Member Julia Brownley, California Ann McLane Kuster, New Hampshire Beto O'Rourke, Texas Kathleen Rice, New York Lou Correa, California Conor Lamb, Pennsylvania (from April 17, 2018) Gregorio Sablan, Northern Marianas Islands Elizabeth Esty, Connecticut Scott Peters, California

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

Majority	Minority
Jeff Miller, Florida, Chairman Doug Lamborn, Colorado Gus Bilirakis, Florida, Vice Chair Phil Roe, Tennessee Dan Benishek, Michigan Tim Huelskamp, Kansas Mike Coffman, Colorado Brad Wenstrup, Ohio Jackie Walorski, Indiana Ralph Abraham, Louisiana Lee Zeldin, New York Ryan Costello, Pennsylvania Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa Mike Bost, Illinois	Mark Takano, California, Ranking Member^[3] Corrine Brown, Florida Julia Brownley, California Dina Titus, Nevada Raul Ruiz, California Ann McLane Kuster, New Hampshire Beto O'Rourke, Texas Kathleen Rice, New York Tim Walz, Minnesota Jerry McNerney, California

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

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs	Elaine Luria (D-VA)	Mike Bost (R-IL)
Economic Opportunity	Mike Levin (D-CA)	Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
Health	Julia Brownley (D-CA)	Neal Dunn (R-FL)
Oversight and Investigations	Chris Pappas (D-NH)	Jack Bergman (R-MI)
Technology Modernization	Susie Lee (D-NV)	Jim Banks (R-IN)

References

^ "House Committee on Veterans Affairs". veterans.house.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "House Committee on Veterans Affairs". veterans.house.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ 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

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

[1] "House Committee on Veterans Affairs". veterans.house.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[2] "House Committee on Veterans Affairs". veterans.house.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[3] 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.

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