Craig wants to head VA Committee

BOISE – U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, is on track to become chairman of the powerful Veterans Affairs Committee, which oversees issues affecting the nation’s 29.4 million veterans.

The three-term Idaho Republican will resign as head of the Special Committee on Aging as part of his bid.

Unlike the committee on aging, Veterans Affairs has full legislative and oversight authority, meaning its members have the power to amend bills or even block them from going to a full Senate vote, said Sid Smith, a Craig aide in Washington D.C.

As the 15-member committee’s chairman, his authority will be amplified when it comes to deciding the destiny of veterans-related legislation.

“It’s a step up in terms of authority and position,” said Jim Weatherby, a Boise State University professor of public policy. “Idahoans want to see their members of Congress succeed and strengthen their voice – especially because we have only four members.”

The move won’t be official until the beginning of January, Smith said.

Craig is in line for the Veterans Affairs chairmanship because he’s the most senior Republican member of the committee after Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter and Colorado’s Ben Nighthorse-Campbell.

Specter is giving up the chairmanship because he’s line to head up the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Nighthorse-Campbell didn’t run for re-election in November.

The Veterans Affairs chairman helps oversee the Veterans Administration, whose annual budget of about $68.2 billion makes it the second-largest federal agency. As many as 70 million people, including family of former service men and women, are eligible for VA benefits.

“Senator Craig will have a direct role in impacting issues that are important to the VA and veterans in Idaho,” said Smith, his aide. “(He) will have a large role in determining the path of those bills.”

There are about 122,000 military veterans in Idaho. In addition, members of the Idaho National Guard began the largest deployment in the state’s 114-year history just two months ago.

Craig’s other committee memberships include Senate Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources, and Judiciary.

Craig said just because he’s leaving the top post of the Special Committee on Aging doesn’t mean he’ll ignore issues important to older Americans. He says he’ll continue to focus on Medicare, the government’s insurance program for seniors, Social Security and long-term care.