In The News

WRITTEN BY: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

This week, the House and Senate Education and Labor committees announced their full roster of members for the 118th Congress. Democrats retained the majority in the Senate, and as a result, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee saw few major changes to committee rules and priorities. There are, however, several membership changes of note:

• Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will serve as chair and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) will serve as ranking member.
• Ed Markey (D-MA) is the sole new Democratic member.
• Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Ted Budd (R-NC) are the new Republican members to the committee and are also new to the Senate.
• Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) are no longer on the committee.

The Senate HELP Committee has not yet announced its subcommittees’ rosters.

On the House side, with a new Republican majority, the House Education and Workforce Committee announced its subcommittee leaders and members, adopted new committee rules and spelled out its oversight priorities. This Congress, there are only four subcommittees, as the Republican majority got rid of the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee at the start of the 118th Congress.

The committee adopted a plan for “aggressive oversight” of the various federal agencies and programs including the departments of Education, Labor, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services. The committee’s chair, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), said, “Oversight will be a major priority for this committee in the 118 Congress as it will be for all committees,” reasoning that “the executive branch has gotten too comfortable bypassing the legislative process.” Some of the oversight priorities outlined in the plan include COVID-19 relief funds, child nutrition, accountability and investigations on federal student loan programs, and Title IX implementation.

On the rules front, the committee adopted a rule that prohibits remote hearings or markups this Congress. Rep. Foxx said in-person hearings allow for the best debate and deliberation and that it is easier to maintain decorum and orderly procedures. Remote witnesses will be allowed at Rep. Foxx’s discretion.

Below includes a summary of committee and subcommittee leadership and members:

Committee on Education and Workforce

Chair: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Vice Chair: Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL)

Ranking member: Bobby Scott (D-VA)

Vice Ranking member: Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT)

Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education

Chair: *Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL)

Ranking member: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)

Republicans: Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-PA), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA), *Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), *Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), *Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Democrats: Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Del. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (NMI-At Large), Rep. Jahana Hayes, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) and Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ)

Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development

Chair: Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT)

Ranking member: Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

Republicans: Rep. G.T. Thompson, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), *Rep. John James (R-MI), *Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), *Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN), Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Democrats: Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC), Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Rep. Grijalva, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), Del. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Northern Mariana Islands) , Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC)

Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions

Chair: Rep. Bob Good (R-VA)

Ranking member: Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)

Republicans: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA), Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL), *Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) and Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN)

Democrats: Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA), Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC)

Subcommittee on Workforce Protections

Chair: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA)

Ranking member: Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC)

Republicans: Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO)

Democrats: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)


*Indicates a new member to the House