United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee

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)      Republican (10) Minority (9)      Democratic (7)      Independent (2)
Jurisdiction
Oversight authority	Department of Veterans Affairs
House counterpart	House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs is a special group of lawmakers in the United States Senate. Their main job is to look after the needs and issues of veterans in the United States. Veterans are people who have served in the country's armed forces.

What the Committee Does

This committee was created in 1970. Before that, different groups in the Senate handled veterans' issues. But lawmakers decided it would be better to have one main committee. This way, all matters related to veterans could be handled in one place.

The committee makes sure that veterans get the support they need. This includes things like:

• Help with medical care
• Support for education and job training
• Housing assistance
• Pensions and other financial help

Over the years, the way the government helps veterans has changed. In early wars, like the American Revolutionary War, the help was mostly financial. After World War II, a very important law called the GI Bill of Rights was passed. This law gave many benefits to service members and their families. It helped them with unemployment, education, job training, and even buying homes. Many people believe this law helped create a strong middle class in the U.S.

The committee started with nine members. Today, it has 19 members who work together to support veterans.

Who is on the Committee?

The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee has members from both major political parties. As of the 119th Congress, which started in January 2025, the committee has 19 members.

Members of the 119th Congress

It's interesting to know that five of the nineteen members on this committee are veterans themselves. They are Senators Banks, Blumenthal, Duckworth, Gallego, and Sheehy.

Leaders of the Committee

The person in charge of the committee is called the Chair. The Ranking Member is the leader of the minority party on the committee. Many different senators have led this important committee since it was formed.

Current and Past Chairs

The current Chair of the committee is Jerry Moran from Kansas. He became Chair in January 2025.

Here are some of the senators who have served as Chair of the committee:

See Also

• List of current United States Senate committees
• United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
• United States Department of Veterans Affairs