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.

Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
Standing committee
Active

United States Senate
118th Congress
History
FormedOctober 26, 1970
Leadership
ChairJon Tester (D)
Since February 3, 2021
Ranking memberJerry Moran (R)
Since February 3, 2021
Structure
Seats19 members
Political partiesMajority (10)
  •   Democratic (7)
  •   Independent (3)
Minority (9)
Jurisdiction
Oversight authorityDepartment of Veterans Affairs
House counterpartHouse Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Website
www.veterans.senate.gov

    Description

    The committee was created in 1970 to transfer responsibilities for veterans from the Finance and Labor committees to a single panel. From 1947 to 1970, matters relating to veterans compensation and veterans generally were referred to the Committee on Finance, while matters relating to the vocational rehabilitation, education, medical care, civil relief, and civilian readjustment of veterans were referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.[1]

    Congressional legislation affecting veterans changed over the years. For the members of the armed forces and their families in the nation's early wars – the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War and the Spanish–American War – the response of the federal government had been essentially financial. This was clearly the legislative mission of the Senate Committee on Pensions which was created as one of the Senate's original standing committees in 1816 and continued until its termination in the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.[1]

    During World War I the nature of the congressional response to veterans' needs changed towards a more diversified set of programs. A war risk insurance program, which was referred to the Senate Finance Committee, changed the consideration of veterans benefits in the Senate. The Finance Committee was the Senate standing committee most responsible for veterans programs from 1917 to 1946. After World War II, the Finance Committee handled the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, the GI Bill of Rights, which extended to servicemen and their families, a number of benefits including unemployment assistance, education, vocational training, housing and business loan guarantees, as well as the traditional medical and pension benefits of previous times. Many experts believe this law was one of the most important elements in the expansion of the middle class following World War II.[1]

    The Veterans' Affairs Committee had nine members in its initial congress, the 92nd Congress (1971–73). It now has a total of 19 members.[1]

    Members, 118th Congress
    Majority[2] Minority[3]

    According to committee members' official online biographies, two of the eighteen members are veterans: Richard Blumenthal and Dan Sullivan.

    Chairs of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 1971–present
    Name Party State Years
    Vance Hartke Democratic Indiana 1971 – 1977
    Alan Cranston Democratic California 1977 – 1981
    Alan K. Simpson Republican Wyoming 1981 – 1985
    Frank Murkowski Republican Alaska 1985 – 1987
    Alan Cranston Democratic California 1987 – 1993
    Jay Rockefeller Democratic West Virginia 1993 – 1995
    Alan K. Simpson Republican Wyoming 1995 – 1997
    Arlen Specter Republican Pennsylvania 1997 – 2001
    Jay Rockefeller Democratic West Virginia 2001 – 2003
    Arlen Specter Republican Pennsylvania 2003 – 2005
    Larry Craig Republican Idaho 2005 – 2007
    Daniel Akaka Democratic Hawaii 2007 – 2011
    Patty Murray Democratic Washington 2011 – 2013
    Bernie Sanders Independent Vermont 2013 – 2015
    Johnny Isakson Republican Georgia 2015 – 2019
    Jerry Moran Republican Kansas 2020 – 2021
    Jon Tester Democratic Montana 2021 – present

    Historical committee rosters

    117th Congress
    Majority Minority

    Source:[4]

    116th Congress
    Majority Minority

    115th Congress
    Majority Minority

    Source:[5]

    114th Congress
    Majority Minority

    Source:[6]

    113th Congress
    Majority Minority

    Source: 2013 Congressional Record, Vol. 159, Page S296 to 297

    112th Congress
    Majority Minority

    Source: 2011 Congressional Record, Vol. 157, Page S557

    111th Congress
    Majority Minority

    Source: 2009 Congressional Record, Vol. 155, Page S5168 and 2010 Congressional Record, Vol. 156, Page S970

    110th Congress
    Majority Minority

    See also

    Notes
    1. Bernie Sanders is an Independent, but caucuses with Democrats on the committee.
    2. Kyrsten Sinema is formally an independent but caucuses with the Democrats.
    3. Angus King is formally an independent but caucuses with the Democrats.

    References
    1. "About: United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs". United States Senate. Retrieved April 7, 2017. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    2. S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
    3. S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
    4. "United States Veteran Affair's Committee Member List". United States Veteran's Affairs. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
    5. "U.S. Senate: Committee on Veterans' Affairs". www.senate.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
    6. "Committee on Veterans' Affairs Members, 2015-2016". Ballotpedia. Ballotpedia.
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