United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 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.

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. The number of members has fluctuated, but as of 2005 (the 109th Congress) it stands at 28, with 25 serving members and 3 vacancies. Steve Buyer (R-IN) presides as chair, Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) is the vice chair, and Lane Evans (D-IL) is the ranking member.

Contents 1 Subcommittees 1.1 Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs 1.2 Economic Opportunity 1.3 Health 1.4 Oversight and Investigations 2 Past chairs 3 List of members 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Subcommittees

There are four subcommittees[1]:

[edit] Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs

The Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs is responsible for pensions, burial benefits and compensation, the Board of Veterans' Appeals, the Court of Veterans' Claims, and all U.S. cemeteries where a veteran was laid to rest.

• Chair: Jeff Miller (R-FL)
• Vice chair: Jerry Moran (R-KS)
• Ranking member: Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
• Members: Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Lane Evans (D-IL), Tom Udall (D-NM), Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)

[edit] Economic Opportunity

The Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity is responsible for education, vocational training, housing, civil relief, and readjustment to civilian life.

• Chair: John Boozman (R-AR)
• Vice chair: Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
• Ranking member: Stephanie Herseth (D-SD)
• Other members: Richard Baker (R-LA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Darlene Hooley (D-OR), Devin Nunes (R-CA)

[edit] Health

The Subcommittee on Health is responsible for health care, and veterans' hospitals including the network run by the VA.

• Chair: Henry Brown (R-SC)
• Vice chair: Cliff Stearns (R-FL)
• Ranking member: Michael Michaud (D-ME)
• Other members: Richard Baker (R-LA), Corrine Brown (D-FL), Bob Filner (D-CA), Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), Jeff Miller (R-FL) Jerry Moran (R-KS), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Vic Snyder (D-AR), Michael R. Turner (R-OH)

[edit] Oversight and Investigations

Oversight and Investigations is responsible for the VA and other federal agencies, and for reviewing benefits.

• Chair: Mike Bilirakis (R-FL)
• Vice chair: Terry Everett (R-AL)
• Ranking member: Ted Strickland (D-OH)
• Other members: John Boozman (R-AR), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), and one vacancy.

[edit] Past chairs

The past 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 – present: Steve Buyer (R-IN)

[edit] List of members

The members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs during the 109th Congress:

• Richard Baker (R-LA)
• Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
• Michael Bilirakis (R-FL, vice chair)
• John Boozman (R-AR)
• Jeb Bradley (R-NH)
• Corrine Brown (D-FL)
• Henry Brown (R-SC)
• Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
• Steve Buyer (R-IN, chair)
• Lane Evans (D-IL, ranking member)
• Terry Everett (R-AL)
• Bob Filner (D-CA)
• Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL)
• Stephanie Herseth (D-SD)
• Darlene Hooley (D-OR)
• Michael Michaud (D-ME)
• Jeff Miller (R-FL)
• Jerry Moran (R-KS)
• Devin Nunes (R-CA)
• Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
• Vic Snyder (D-AR)
• Cliff Stearns (R-FL)
• Ted Strickland (D-OH)
• Michael R. Turner (R-OH)
• Tom Udall (D-NM)

[edit] See also

• United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
• United States Department of Veterans Affairs

[edit] External links

• House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  • --. About the committee. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
  • --. Committee jurisdiction. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
  • --. History of the committee. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
  • --. Members. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
  • --. Past chairmen of the committee. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
  • --. Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
  • --. Subcommittee on Health. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
  • --. Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Retrieved April 24, 2006.
  • --. Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Retrieved March 1, 2005.
• United States Department of Veterans' Affairs
• House Veterans' Affairs Committee Democratic Webpage

Current United States Congressional committees
House (list)	Agriculture • Appropriations • Armed Services • Budget • Education and the Workforce • Energy and Commerce • Financial Services • Government Reform • Homeland Security • House Administration • Hurricane Katrina (Select) • Intelligence (Permanent Select) • International Relations • Judiciary • Resources • Rules • Science • Small Business • Standards of Official Conduct • Transportation and Infrastructure • Veterans' Affairs • Ways and Means • (Whole)
Senate (list)	Aging (Special) • Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry • Appropriations • Armed Services • Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs • Budget • Commerce, Science and Transportation • Energy and Natural Resources • Ethics (Select) • Environment and Public Works • Finance • Foreign Relations • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions • Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs • Indian Affairs • Intelligence (Select) • Judiciary • Rules and Administration • Small Business and Entrepreneurship • Veterans' Affairs
Joint	(Conference) • Economic • Library • Printing • Taxation	Defunct committees