The United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies is a standing committee of the U.S. House subcommittees and is within the United States House Committee on Appropriations. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for Military Construction and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
It is chaired by Republican John Carter of Texas and its Ranking Member is Democrat Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida
Appropriations process
Traditionally, after a federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year has been passed, the appropriations subcommittees receive information about what the budget sets as their spending ceilings. This is called "302(b) allocations" after section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. That amount is separated into smaller amounts for each of the twelve Subcommittees. The federal budget does not become law and is not signed by the President. Instead, it is guide for the House and the Senate in making appropriations and tax decisions. However, no budget is required and each chamber has procedures in place for what to do without one. The House and Senate now consider appropriations bills simultaneously, although originally the House went first. The House Committee on Appropriations usually reports the appropriations bills in May and June and the Senate in June. Any differences between appropriations bills passed by the House and the Senate are resolved in the fall.
Appropriations bills
An appropriations bill is a bill that appropriates (gives to, sets aside for) money to specific federal government departments, agencies, and programs. The money provides funding for operations, personnel, equipment, and activities. Regular appropriations bills are passed annually, with the funding they provide covering one fiscal year. The fiscal year is the accounting period of the federal government, which runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year.
There are three types of appropriations bills: regular appropriations bills, continuing resolutions, and supplemental appropriations bills. Regular appropriations bills are the twelve standard bills that cover the funding for the federal government for one fiscal year and that are supposed to be enacted into law by October 1. If Congress has not enacted the regular appropriations bills by the time, it can pass a continuing resolution, which continues the pre-existing appropriations at the same levels as the previous fiscal year (or with minor modifications) for a set amount of time. The third type of appropriations bills are supplemental appropriations bills, which add additional funding above and beyond what was originally appropriated at the beginning of the fiscal year. Supplemental appropriations bills can be used for things like disaster relief.
Appropriations bills are one part of a larger United States budget and spending process. They are preceded in that process by the president's budget proposal, congressional budget resolutions, and the 302(b) allocation. Article One of the United States Constitution, section 9, clause 7, states that "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law..." This is what gives Congress the power to make these appropriations. The President, however, still has the power to veto appropriations bills.
Members, 119th Congress MajorityMinority John Carter, Texas, Chair John Rutherford, Florida Michael Guest, Mississippi Ryan Zinke, Montana Stephanie Bice, Oklahoma Scott Franklin, Florida Mark Alford, Missouri, Vice Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida, Ranking Member Sanford Bishop, Georgia Veronica Escobar, Texas Mike Levin, California Henry Cuellar, Texas Ex officio Tom Cole, Oklahoma Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut
Historical membership rosters 115th Congress MajorityMinority Vacant, Chairman, since 2018 Charlie Dent, Pennsylvania, Chairman, until 2018 Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska, Vice Chair Tom Rooney, Florida David Valadao, California Steve Womack, Arkansas Evan Jenkins, West Virginia Scott Taylor, Virginia Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida, Ranking Member Sanford Bishop, Georgia Barbara Lee, California Tim Ryan, Ohio Ex officio Rodney Frelinghuysen, New Jersey Nita Lowey, New York
116th Congress MajoritySubcommittee pageMinority Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida, Chair Sanford Bishop, Georgia, Vice Chair Ed Case, Hawaii Tim Ryan, Ohio Chellie Pingree, Maine Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania Cheri Bustos, Illinois John Carter, Texas, Ranking Member Martha Roby, Alabama John Rutherford, Florida Will Hurd, Texas Ex officio Nita Lowey, New York Kay Granger, Texas
117th Congress MajoritySubcommittee pageMinority Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida, Chair Sanford Bishop, Georgia, Vice Chair Ed Case, Hawaii Chellie Pingree, Maine Charlie Crist, Florida David Trone, Maryland Susie Lee, Nevada John Carter, Texas, Ranking Member David Valadao, California John Rutherford, Florida Tony Gonzales, Texas Ex officio Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut Kay Granger, Texas
118th Congress MajorityMinority John Carter, Texas, Chair David Valadao, California John Rutherford, Florida Tony Gonzales, Texas Michael Guest, Mississippi Ryan Zinke, Montana Stephanie Bice, Oklahoma Scott Franklin, Florida Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida, Ranking Member Sanford Bishop, Georgia Susie Lee, Nevada Henry Cuellar, Texas Chellie Pingree, Maine Ex officio Kay Granger, Texas Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut
Legislation For fiscal year 2014: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014 For fiscal year 2015: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4486; 113th Congress)
External links Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee page
References