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How
Congress
Determines
VA
Research
Policy
and
Funding
Congressional
Committees
Policy
for VA
Research
Appropriations
for VA
Research
Congressional
Committees
The real
work of
Congress
is
conducted
by
committees.
Any
member
of
Congress
may
introduce
a bill
on any
topic,
but all
bills
are
referred
to the
committee
with
jurisdiction
over the
pertinent
issue.
Bills
that
have
merit
are
intensely
evaluated,
amended,
redrafted,
discussed,
incorporated
into
other
legislation,
etc., on
the way
to final
approval.
However,
very few
of the
hundreds
of bills
that are
introduced
each
year
ever
make it
past
committee
scrutiny.
Committee
members
have
clout.
If any
of your
legislators
are on
the
committees
with
jurisdiction
over VA
policy
or
funding,
it is
particularly
important
that you
contact
their
offices
and
become
known to
their
key
staff.
Key VA
Committees:
If your
legislators
are not
members
of the
key
committees,
it is
still
important
for them
to be
educated
about VA
research
issues.
The
important
thing is
to
concentrate
your
efforts
on your
representatives
-- those
who
represent
the
state
and
district
where
you live
as well
as where
your
medical
center
is
located.
While
each
legislator
has a
personal
staff
with
legislative
assistants
responsible
for
certain
issues,
there
are also
professional
committee
staff
who are
extremely
knowledgeable
about
the
issues
within
the
committee's
jurisdiction.
It is
important
to
cultivate
the
interest
of
committee
staff as
well as
personal
staff.
These
are the
people
who
advise
the
chairs
and
ranking
members
of the
committees.
They are
frequently
more
accessible
than the
member.
The
higher a
legislator
appears
on a
committee
list,
the more
"senior"
and
influential
he/she
is, with
the most
important
people
being
the
chairman
and
ranking
minority
member.
Policy
for VA
Research:
House
and
Senate
Committees
on
Veterans'
Affairs
The
House
and
Senate
Committees
on
Veterans Affairs
are
extremely
influential
in
setting
VA
policy,
priorities
and
oversight
as well
as
determining
new
programs
and
initiatives.
These
committees
are
known as
the
"authorizing"
committees
for VA;
they
"authorize"
the
appropriators
to fund
continuing
and new
programs.
Most
legislation
regarding
VA
originates
from
members
of these
committees.
Their
support
is
critical
to final
passage
of any
VA-related
bill.
The
House
Veterans
Affairs
Committee
has a
subcommittee
-- the
Subcommittee
on
Health --
that is
directly
tasked
with
jurisdiction
over VA
medical
care and
research
issues.
The
Senate
VA
Committee
has no
subcommittees.
If
convinced
of the
importance
of VA
research,
committee
members
can be
strong
allies.
Some
years,
the
chairs
of these
committees
use
their
considerable
clout to
encourage
appropriators
to
increase
funding
for VA
research.
Appropriations
for VA
Research:
SENATE
Appropriations
Subcommittee
on
Military
Construction
and
Veterans
Affairs
and
HOUSE
Appropriations
Subcommittee
on
Military
Quality
of Life
and
Veterans
Affairs
The
House
and
Senate
Committees
on
Appropriations
have
multiple
appropriations
subcommittees,
each of
which
has
jurisdiction
over
funding
for one
or more
discretionary
federal
programs.
Some of
these
committees
have
responsibility
for just
one
federal
agency,
such as
the
House
and
Senate
Appropriations
Subcommittees
on
Defense
which
fund
only the
Department
of
Defense.
Others
determine
funding
for a
variety
of
programs.
Funding
for VA
programs
falls
under
the
Senate
Appropriations
Subcommittee
on
Military
Construction
and
Veterans
Affairs
and the
House
Appropriations
Subcommittee
on
Military
Quality
of Life
and
Veterans
Affairs.
Members
of these
subcommittees
will
have the
most
direct
impact
on the
outcome
of
funding
for VA
medical
care and
research.
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