| Standing committee | |
|---|---|
Active United States Senate 119th Congress | |
| History | |
| Formed | October 26, 1970 |
| Leadership | |
| Chair | Jerry Moran (R) Since January 3, 2025 |
| Ranking member | Richard Blumenthal (D) Since January 3, 2025 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 19 members |
| Political parties | Majority (10)
|
| Jurisdiction | |
| Oversight authority | Department of Veterans Affairs |
| House counterpart | House Committee on Veterans' Affairs |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheUnited States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United Statesveterans' problems and issues.
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 – theRevolutionary War, theWar of 1812, theMexican War, theCivil War and theSpanish–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 theLegislative Reorganization Act of 1946.[1]
DuringWorld 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 theSenate 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. AfterWorld War II, the Finance Committee handled the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, theGI 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]
| Majority[2] | Minority[3] |
|---|---|
|
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According to committee members' official online biographies, five (Banks, Blumenthal, Duckworth, Gallego, Sheehy) of the nineteen members are veterans.
| Name | Party | State | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vance Hartke | Democratic | Indiana | 1971 | 1977 | |
| Alan Cranston | Democratic | California | 1977 | 1981 | |
| Alan 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 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 | 2025 | |
| Jerry Moran | Republican | Kansas | 2025 | present | |
| Name | Party | State | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strom Thurmond | Republican | Pennsylvania | 1971 | 1973 | |
| Clifford Hansen | Republican | Wyoming | 1973 | 1979 | |
| Robert Stafford | Republican | Vermont | 1979 | 1981 | |
| Alan Cranston | Democratic | California | 1981 | 1987 | |
| Frank Murkowski | Republican | Alaska | 1987 | 1991 | |
| Alan Simpson | Republican | Pennsylvania | 1991 | 1995 | |
| Jay Rockefeller | Democratic | West Virginia | 1995 | 2001 | |
| Arlen Specter | Republican | Pennsylvania | 2001 | 2003 | |
| Bob Graham | Democratic | Florida | 2003 | 2005 | |
| Daniel Akaka | Democratic | Hawaii | 2005 | 2007 | |
| Larry Craig | Republican | Idaho | 2007 | ||
| Richard Burr | Republican | North Carolina | 2007 | 2015 | |
| Dick Blumenthal | Democratic | Connecticut | 2015 | 2017 | |
| Jon Tester | Democratic | Montana | 2017 | 2021 | |
| Jerry Moran | Republican | Kansas | 2021 | 2025 | |
| Dick Blumenthal | Democratic | Connecticut | 2025 | present | |
| Majority[4] | Minority[5] |
|---|---|
|
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According to committee members' official online biographies, two of the eighteen members are veterans:Richard Blumenthal andDan Sullivan.
| Majority | Minority |
|---|---|
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Source:[6]
| Majority | Minority |
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| Majority | Minority |
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Source:[7]
| Majority | Minority |
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Source:[8]
| Majority | Minority |
|---|---|
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Source:2013 Congressional Record,Vol. 159, Page S296 to 297
| Majority | Minority |
|---|---|
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Source:2011 Congressional Record,Vol. 157, Page S557
| Majority | Minority |
|---|---|
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Source:2009 Congressional Record,Vol. 155, Page S5168 and2010 Congressional Record,Vol. 156, Page S970
| Majority | Minority |
|---|---|
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
