The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (in case citations, Vet.

The court has exclusive national jurisdiction to provide independent federal judicial oversight and review of final decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veterans Court hears oral arguments and reviews final Board decisions, the record before the agency, and briefs of the parties on appeal.

The struggles of these veterans to obtain VA benefits highlighted the lack of independent oversight in the adjudication process.

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs initially resisted, noting that the Department of Veterans Affairs stood in "splendid isolation as the single federal administrative agency whose major functions were explicitly insulated from judicial review.

"[7] After decades of debate, on November 18, 1988, Congress created the United States Court of Veterans Appeals.

Retired judges are routinely recalled to active service to assist the Court in issuing its decisions in a timely manner.