The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans' problems and issues.

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.

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.

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.

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

Members, 119th Congress

Majority (119th Congress)Minority (119th Congress)Jerry Moran, Kansas, Chair John Boozman, Arkansas Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Thom Tillis, North Carolina Dan Sullivan, Alaska Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Jim Banks, Indiana Tim Sheehy, MontanaRichard Blumenthal, Connecticut, Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Angus King, Maine Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Ruben Gallego, Arizona Elissa Slotkin, Michigan

According to committee members' official online biographies, five (Banks, Blumenthal, Duckworth, Gallego, Sheehy) of the nineteen members are veterans.

Chairs of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 1971–present NamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticIndiana19711977DemocraticCalifornia19771981RepublicanWyoming19811985RepublicanAlaska19851987DemocraticCalifornia19871993DemocraticWest Virginia19931995RepublicanWyoming19951997RepublicanPennsylvania19972001DemocraticWest Virginia20012003RepublicanPennsylvania20032005RepublicanIdaho20052007DemocraticHawaii20072011DemocraticWashington20112013IndependentVermont20132015RepublicanGeorgia20152019RepublicanKansas20202021DemocraticMontana20212025RepublicanKansas2025present

Ranking members NamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanSouth Carolina19711973RepublicanWyoming19731979RepublicanVermont19791981DemocraticCalifornia19811987RepublicanAlaska19871991RepublicanPennsylvania19911995DemocraticWest Virginia19952001RepublicanPennsylvania20012003DemocraticFlorida20032005DemocraticHawaii20052007RepublicanIdaho2007RepublicanNorth Carolina20072015DemocraticConnecticut20152017DemocraticMontana20172021RepublicanKansas20212025DemocraticConnecticut2025present

Historical committee rosters 118th Congress Majority (118th Congress)Minority (118th Congress)Jon Tester, Montana, Chair Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Joe Manchin, West Virginia Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Angus King, MaineJerry Moran, Kansas, Ranking Member John Boozman, Arkansas Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Mike Rounds, South Dakota Thom Tillis, North Carolina Dan Sullivan, Alaska Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

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

117th Congress MajorityMinorityJon Tester, Montana, Chair Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Joe Manchin, West Virginia Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona Maggie Hassan, New HampshireJerry Moran, Kansas, Ranking Member John Boozman, Arkansas Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Mike Rounds, South Dakota Thom Tillis, North Carolina Dan Sullivan, Alaska Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

Source:

116th Congress MajorityMinorityJohnny Isakson, Georgia, Chair Jerry Moran, Kansas, Chair John Boozman, Arkansas Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Mike Rounds, South Dakota Thom Tillis, North Carolina Dan Sullivan, Alaska Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Kelly Loeffler, Georgia Jon Tester, Montana, Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Joe Manchin, West Virginia Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona

115th Congress MajorityMinorityJohnny Isakson, Georgia, Chair Jerry Moran, Kansas John Boozman, Arkansas Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Mike Rounds, South Dakota Thom Tillis, North Carolina Dan Sullivan, AlaskaJon Tester, Montana, Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Joe Manchin, West Virginia

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114th Congress

MajorityMinorityJohnny Isakson, Georgia, Chair Jerry Moran, Kansas John Boozman, Arkansas Dean Heller, Nevada Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Mike Rounds, South Dakota Thom Tillis, North Carolina Dan Sullivan, AlaskaRichard Blumenthal, Connecticut, Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Jon Tester, Montana Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Joe Manchin, West Virginia

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113th Congress

MajorityMinorityBernie Sanders, Vermont, Chair Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia Patty Murray, Washington Sherrod Brown, Ohio Jon Tester, Montana Mark Begich, Alaska Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Mazie Hirono, HawaiiRichard Burr, North Carolina, Ranking Member Johnny Isakson, Georgia Mike Johanns, Nebraska Jerry Moran, Kansas John Boozman, Arkansas Dean Heller, Nevada

Source: to 297

112th Congress MajorityMinorityPatty Murray, Washington, Chair Bernie Sanders, Vermont Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia Sherrod Brown, Ohio Jon Tester, Montana Mark Begich, Alaska Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Mazie Hirono, HawaiiRichard Burr, North Carolina, Ranking Member Johnny Isakson, Georgia Mike Johanns, Nebraska Jerry Moran, Kansas John Boozman, Arkansas Dean Heller, Nevada

Source:

111th Congress MajorityMinorityDaniel Akaka, Hawaii, Chair Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Jim Webb, Virginia Jon Tester, Montana Mark Begich, Alaska Roland Burris, Illinois, until November 29, 2010 Arlen Specter, PennsylvaniaRichard Burr, North Carolina, Ranking Member Johnny Isakson, Georgia Roger Wicker, Mississippi Mike Johanns, Nebraska Scott Brown, Massachusetts Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

Source: and

110th Congress MajorityMinorityDaniel Akaka, Hawaii, Chair Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Jim Webb, Virginia Jon Tester, MontanaRichard Burr, Ranking Member, North Carolina Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Johnny Isakson, Georgia Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Roger Wicker, Mississippi Mike Johanns, Nebraska

See also List of United States Senate committees United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Notes

References

External links United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Archive) Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.