U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States House 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.
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 a 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 is 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.
Jurisdiction This subcommittee is responsible for funding the Department of Veterans Affairs and all construction activities within the Department of Defense, including military family housing. It also funds activities related to base closures and realignments, the Armed Forces Retirement Home, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Members, 119th Congress MajorityMinority John Boozman, Arkansas, Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Hoeven, North Dakota Susan Collins, Maine Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Deb Fischer, Nebraska Mike Rounds, South Dakota Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi (until July 22, 2026) Darline Graham, South Carolina (from July 22, 2026) Jon Ossoff, Georgia, Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Jack Reed, Rhode Island Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Gary Peters, Michigan Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Ex officio
Historical Previously called the "Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs," the subcommittee was responsible for funding the Department of Veterans Affairs and all construction activities within the Department of Defense, including military family housing. It also funds activities related to base closures and realignments, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
110th Congress
Majority Member State Tim Johnson, Chairman South Dakota Daniel Inouye Hawaii Mary Landrieu Louisiana Robert Byrd West Virginia Patty Murray Washington Jack Reed Rhode Island Ben Nelson Nebraska
Minority Member State Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ranking Member Texas Larry Craig Idaho Sam Brownback Kansas Wayne Allard Colorado Mitch McConnell Kentucky Bob Bennett Utah
117th Congress MajorityLeahy, Shelby Announce Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee Rosters And Leadership For The 117th CongressMinority Martin Heinrich, New Mexico, Chair Brian Schatz, Hawaii Jon Tester, Montana Patty Murray, Washington Jack Reed, Rhode Island Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Coons, Delaware Joe Manchin, West Virginia John Boozman, Arkansas, Ranking Member Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Hoeven, North Dakota Susan Collins, Maine Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Marco Rubio, Florida Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Ex officio Patrick Leahy, Vermont Richard Shelby, Alabama
118th Congress MajorityMinority Patty Murray, Washington, Chair Brian Schatz, Hawaii Jon Tester, Montana Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Jack Reed, Rhode Island Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Coons, Delaware (until October 27, 2023) Joe Manchin, West Virginia Gary Peters, Michigan Kyrsten Sinema, ArizonaIndependent Senator caucusing with the Democrats (from October 17, 2023) John Boozman, Arkansas, Ranking Member Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Hoeven, North Dakota Susan Collins, Maine Deb Fischer, Nebraska Marco Rubio, Florida Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Ex officio The Chair and/or Vice Chair of the full Appropriations Committee are entitled to sit as ex officio members of any subcommittee, but are already designated members of this subcommittee.
External links U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies official web site
References