The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is a US
Senate committee, founded in
1971 to place legislative and oversight responsibility for veterans' benefits and services with a single committee. Its
jurisdiction is outlined in Rule XXV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate:
"(p) Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to which committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects:
- Compensation of veterans.
- Life insurance issued by the Government on account of service in the Armed Forces.
- National cemeteries.
- Pensions of all wars of the United States, general and special.
- Readjustment of servicemen to civil life.
- Soldiers' and sailors' civil relief.
- Veterans' hospitals, medical care and treatment of veterans.
- Veterans' measures generally.
- Vocational rehabilitation and education of veterans."1
The Veterans' Affairs Committee has no subcommittees and is relatively small, containing 14 members, 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats. It is chaired by Republican Senator Arlen Specter.
MEMBER APPOINTED POSITION MEMBER APPOINTED POSITION
Specter (R - PA) 01-05-81 Chairman Rockefeller (D - WV) 03-05-85 Ranking
Murkowski (R - AK) 01-05-81 Graham (D - FL) 01-06-87
Thurmond (R - SC) 01-29-71 Akaka (D - HI) 05-16-90
Jeffords (R - VT) 02-02-89 Wellstone (D - MN) 03-28-95
Campbell (R - CO) 03-24-95 Murray (D - WA) 01-03-96
Craig (R - ID) 01-06-95 Miller (D - GA) 09-12-00
Hutchinson (R - AR) 01-09-97 Nelson (D - NE) 01-23-01
1 Committee on Rules and Administration, United States Senate,
Authority and Rules of Senate Committees, 1997-98, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1997.