United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Standing committee

United States House of Representatives
118th Congress
Committee logo
History
FormedMarch 21, 1867
Formerly known as
  • Committee on Education and Labor
  • Committee on Education
  • Committee on Labor
  • Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities
Leadership
ChairVirginia Foxx (R)
Since January 3, 2023
Ranking memberBobby Scott (D)
Since January 3, 2023
Structure
Seats50 members
Political partiesMajority (25)
  •   Republican (25)
Minority (20)
Website
https://edworkforce.house.gov/

    The Committee on Education and the Workforce is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. There are 50 members of this committee. Since 2023, the chair of the Education and the Workforce committee is Virginia Foxx of North Carolina.

    History of the committee

    Attempts were made to create a congressional committee on education and labor starting with the early congresses but issues over Congress's constitutional ability to oversee such issues delayed the committee's formation. Finally, on March 21, 1867, the Committee on Education and Labor was founded following the end of the Civil War and during the rapid industrialization of America. On December 19, 1883, the committee was divided into two, the Committee on Education and the Committee on Labor. The committees again merged on January 2, 1947, after the passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, becoming the Committee on Education and Labor again.

    Name changes

    On January 4, 1995, when the Republicans took over the House, the committee was renamed the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities. It was renamed again as the Committee on Education and the Workforce two years later on January 7, 1997. On January 4, 2007, with the Democrats once again in the majority, the committee's name was changed back to Committee on Education and Labor.[1] After Republicans recaptured the House majority in the 2010 elections, they returned to the name, Committee on Education and the Workforce, effective with the opening of the 112th Congress in 2011.[2] After Democrats recaptured the House majority in the 2018 elections, they similarly returned to the previous name, Committee on Education and Labor, effective with the opening of the 116th Congress in 2019. With the passing of the new House Rules associated to the Speaker negotiations in January of 2023, the 118th Congress renamed the committee as the Committee on Education and the Workforce again.[3]

    Jurisdiction

    From the Official Committee Webpage:

    The Education and Labor Committee's purpose is to ensure that Americans' needs are addressed so that students and workers may move forward in a changing school system and a competitive global economy.

    The committee and its five subcommittees oversee education and workforce programs that affect all Americans, from early learning through secondary education, from job training through retirement.

    The Education and Labor Committee Democrats' goal is to keep America strong by increasing education opportunities for students, by making it easier to send young adults to college, and by helping workers find job training and retirement security for a better future. The following education issues are under the jurisdiction of the Education and Labor Committee:

    Education. The Committee on Education and Labor oversees federal programs and initiatives dealing with education at all levels—from preschool through high school to higher education and continuing education. These include:

    • Elementary and secondary education initiatives, including the No Child Left Behind Act, school choice for low-income families, special education (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), teacher quality & teacher training, scientifically based reading instruction, and vocational and technical education;
    • Higher education programs (the Higher Education Act), to support college access for low and middle-income students and help families pay for college;
    • Early childhood & preschool education programs including Head Start;
    • School lunch and child nutrition programs;
    • Financial oversight of the U.S. Department of Education;
    • Programs and services for the care and treatment of at-risk youth, child abuse prevention, and child adoption;
    • Educational research and improvement;
    • Adult education; and
    • Anti-poverty programs, including the Community Services Block Grant Act and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

    Labor. The Committee on Labor also holds jurisdiction over workforce initiatives aimed at strengthening health care, job training, and retirement security for workers. Workforce issues in the jurisdiction of the Education and the Labor Committee include:

    • Pension and retirement security for U.S. workers;
    • Access to quality health care for working families and other employee benefits;
    • Job training, adult education, and workforce development initiatives, including those under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), to help local communities train and retrain workers;
    • Continuing the successful welfare reforms of 1996;
    • Protecting the democratic rights of individual union members;
    • Worker health and safety, including occupational safety and health;
    • Providing greater choices and flexibility (including "comp time" or family time options) to working women and men;
    • Equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment;
    • Wages and hours of labor, including the Fair Labor Standards Act;
    • Workers' compensation, and family and medical leave;
    • All matters dealing with relationships between employers and employees.

    Activity

    In December 2023, the Committee held a hearing on antisemitism at which three university presidents were invited to speak about their handling of antisemitism on their campuses, and later pressured to resign.[4][5]

    Members, 118th Congress

    Majority Minority

    Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 14 (Chair), H.Res. 15 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 80 (R), H.Res. 87 (D)

    Subcommittees

    Subcommittee Chair[6] Ranking Member[7]
    Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Aaron Bean (R-FL) Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
    Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Bob Good (R-VA) Mark Desaulnier (D-CA)
    Higher Education and Workforce Investment Burgess Owens (R-UT) Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
    Workforce Protections Kevin Kiley (R-CA) Alma Adams (D-NC)

    Historical membership rosters

    115th Congress

    Majority Minority

    Sources: H.Res. 6 (Chair), H.Res. 7 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 45 (D), H.Res. 51 (R), H.Res. 59 (D), H.Res. 131 (R)

    116th Congress

    Majority Minority

    Sources: H.Res. 24 (Chair), H.Res. 25 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 42 (D), H.Res. 68 (R), H.Res. 73 (D), H.Res. 481 (R), H.Res. 596 (R), H.Res. 801 (R)

    Subcommittees

    As of 2019:[10]

    Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member
    Civil Rights and Human Services Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) James Comer (R-KY)
    Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Gregorio Sablan (I-MP) Rick W. Allen (R-GA)
    Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Frederica Wilson (D-FL) Tim Walberg (R-MI)
    Higher Education and Workforce Investment Susan Davis (D-CA) Lloyd Smucker (R-PA)
    Workforce Protections Alma Adams (D-NC) Bradley Byrne (R-AL)

    117th Congress

    Majority Minority

    Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 9 (Chair), H.Res. 10 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 62 (D), H.Res. 63 (R), H.Res. 72 (removing Rep. Greene), H.Res. 92 (D), H.Res. 111 (D), H.Res. 311 (R), H.Res. 902 (D), H.Res. 1340 (R), H.Res. 1404 (D)

    Subcommittees
    Subcommittee[11] Chair Ranking Member
    Civil Rights and Human Services Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) Russ Fulcher (R-ID)
    Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Gregorio Sablan (I-MP) Burgess Owens (R-UT)
    Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) Rick W. Allen (R-GA)
    Higher Education and Workforce Investment Frederica Wilson (D-FL) Greg Murphy (R-NC)
    Workforce Protections Alma Adams (D-NC) Fred Keller (R-PA)

    Chairs

    Committee on Education and Labor (1867–1883)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    Jehu BakerRepublicanIL18671860
    Samuel F. CaryRepublicanOH1869
    Samuel M. ArnellRepublicanTN18691871
    Legrand W. PerceRepublicanMS18711873
    James MonroeRepublicanOH18731875
    Gilbert C. WalkerDemocraticVA18751877
    John GoodeDemocraticVA18771881
    Jonathan T. UpdegraffRepublicanOH18811882
    John C. SherwinRepublicanIL18821883
    Committee on Education and Committee on Labor (1883–1947)
    Committee on EducationCommittee on Labor
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of serviceChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    D. Wyatt AikenDemocraticSC18831887James H. HopkinsDemocraticPA18831885
    Allen D. CandlerDemocraticGA18871889John J. O'NeillDemocraticMO18851889
    James O'DonnellRepublicanMI18891891William H. WadeRepublicanMO18891891
    Walter I. HayesDemocraticIA18911892John C. TarsneyDemocraticMO18911893
    David B. BrunnerDemocraticPA1892Lawrence E. McGannDemocraticIL18931895
    Benjamin A. EnloeDemocraticTN18921895Thomas W. PhillipsRepublicanPA18951897
    Galusha A. GrowRepublicanPA18951903John J. GardnerRepublicanNJ18971911
    George N. SouthwickRepublicanNY19031909William B. WilsonDemocraticPA19111913
    James F. BurkeRepublicanPA19091911David J. LewisDemocraticMD19131917
    Asbury F. LeverDemocraticSC19111913James P. MaherDemocraticNY19171919
    Dudley M. HughesDemocraticGA19131917John M. C. SmithRepublicanMI19191921
    William J. SearsDemocraticFL19171919John I. NolanRepublicanCA19211922
    Simeon D. FessRepublicanOH19191923Frederick N. ZihlmanRepublicanMD19221925
    Frederick W. DallingerRepublicanMA19231925William F. KoppRepublicanIA19251930
    Daniel A. ReedRepublicanNY19251931Richard J. WelchRepublicanCA19301931
    John J. DouglassDemocraticMA19311935William P. Connery Jr.DemocraticMA19311937
    Vincent L. PalmisanoDemocraticMD19351937Mary Teresa NortonDemocraticNJ19371947
    William H. LarrabeeDemocraticIN19371943
    Graham A. BardenDemocraticNC19431947
    Committee on Education and Labor (1947–1995)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    Fred A. HartleyRepublicanNJ19471949
    John Lesinski Sr.DemocraticMI19491950
    Graham A. BardenDemocraticNC19501953
    Samuel K. McConnellRepublicanPA19531955
    Graham A. BardenDemocraticNC19551961
    Adam Clayton PowellDemocraticNY19611967
    Carl D. PerkinsDemocraticKY19671984
    Augustus F. HawkinsDemocraticCA19841991
    William D. FordDemocraticMI19911995
    Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities (1995–1997)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    William F. GoodlingRepublicanPA19951997
    Committee on Education and the Workforce (1997–2007)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    William F. GoodlingRepublicanPA19972001
    John BoehnerRepublicanOH20012006
    Buck McKeonRepublicanCA20062007
    Committee on Education and Labor (2007–2011)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    George MillerDemocraticCA20072011
    Committee on Education and the Workforce (2011–2019)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    John KlineRepublicanMN20112017
    Virginia FoxxRepublicanNC20172019
    Committee on Education and Labor (2019–2023)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    Bobby ScottDemocratVA20192023
    Committee on Education and the Workforce (2023–present)
    ChairPartyStateStart of serviceEnd of service
    Virginia FoxxRepublicanNC2023present

    See also

    References

    1. Chapter 9. Records of the Committees on Education and Labor, Guide to the Records of the U.S. House of Representatives at the National Archives, 1789-1989 (Record Group 233), National Archives and Records Administration
    2. Wall Street Journal: Republicans Labor to Avoid ‘Labor’
    3. PBS: There are new House rules under GOP leadership. Here’s a short guide
    4. Borter, Gabriella; Morgan, David (December 8, 2023). "U.S. lawmakers demand Harvard, MIT, Penn remove presidents after antisemitism hearing". Reuters.
    5. "New York Post: Harvard President Claudine Gay's resignation 'just the beginning of reckoning' amid House antisemitism probe: Stefanik". Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
    6. "Education And The Workforce Committee Adopts Rules And Oversight Plan For 118th Congress". Committee on Education & the Workforce. January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
    7. "NEW: 118th Congress Democratic Committee Assignments | Education & The Workforce Committee Democrats". democrats-edworkforce.house.gov. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
    8. Sablan is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats.
    9. Sablan is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats.
    10. "Members, Subcommittees & Jurisdictions" (PDF). Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
    11. "Chairman Scott Statement Announces New Subcommittee and Vice Chairs". Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
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