The House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind) recently announced that veteran's service organizations will no longer have the opportunity to present testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees, a tradition of legislative presentations by veteran's service organizations that dates back to the 1950s.

The joint hearings have been held each year to allow the elected leaders of veterans groups to discuss their organization's legislative agenda and foremost concerns with the lawmakers who have jurisdiction over federal veterans programs.

Senators and Representatives who serve on those committees also get the opportunity to address the hundreds of constituent members from these organizations' who make the annual pilgrimage to Capitol Hill.