United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce

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.

United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Standing committee
United States House of Representatives 118th Congress
Committee logo
History
Formed	March 21, 1867
Formerly known as	Committee on Education and Labor Committee on Education Committee on Labor Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities
Leadership
Chair	Virginia Foxx (R) Since January 3, 2023
Ranking member	Bobby Scott (D) Since January 3, 2023
Structure
Seats	50 members
Political parties	Majority (25)   Republican (25) Minority (20)   Democratic (20)
Website
https://edworkforce.house.gov/

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.^{[citation needed]} 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

Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, Chair Joe Wilson, South Carolina Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Tim Walberg, Michigan Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Elise Stefanik, New York Rick Allen, Georgia Jim Banks, Indiana James Comer, Kentucky Lloyd Smucker, Pennsylvania Burgess Owens, Utah Bob Good, Virginia Lisa McClain, Michigan Mary Miller, Illinois Michelle Steel, California Ron Estes, Kansas Julia Letlow, Louisiana Kevin Kiley, California Aaron Bean, Florida Eric Burlison, Missouri Nathaniel Moran, Texas John James, Michigan Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon Brandon Williams, New York Erin Houchin, Indiana

Bobby Scott, Virginia, Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Joe Courtney, Connecticut Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands Frederica Wilson, Florida Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Mark Takano, California Alma Adams, North Carolina Mark DeSaulnier, California Donald Norcross, New Jersey Pramila Jayapal, Washington Susan Wild, Pennsylvania Lucy McBath, Georgia Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Haley Stevens, Michigan Teresa Leger Fernandez, New Mexico Kathy Manning, North Carolina Frank J. Mrvan, Indiana Jamaal Bowman, New York

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

Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, Chair Joe Wilson, South Carolina, Vice Chair Duncan D. Hunter, California Phil Roe, Tennessee Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Tim Walberg, Michigan Brett Guthrie, Kentucky Todd Rokita, Indiana Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Luke Messer, Indiana Bradley Byrne, Alabama Dave Brat, Virginia Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Elise Stefanik, New York Rick W. Allen, Georgia Jason Lewis, Minnesota Francis Rooney, Florida Paul Mitchell, Michigan Tom Garrett, Virginia Lloyd Smucker, Pennsylvania Drew Ferguson, Georgia Ron Estes, Kansas Karen Handel, Georgia

Bobby Scott, Virginia, Ranking Member Susan Davis, California Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Joe Courtney, Connecticut Marcia Fudge, Ohio Jared Polis, Colorado Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands^[8] Frederica Wilson, Florida Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon, Vice Ranking Member Mark Takano, California Alma Adams, North Carolina Mark DeSaulnier, California Donald Norcross, New Jersey Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire Adriano Espaillat, New York

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

Bobby Scott, Virginia, Chair Susan Davis, California Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Joe Courtney, Connecticut Marcia Fudge, Ohio Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands^[9] Frederica Wilson, Florida Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Mark Takano, California Alma Adams, North Carolina Mark DeSaulnier, California Donald Norcross, New Jersey Pramila Jayapal, Washington Joseph Morelle, New York Susan Wild, Pennsylvania Josh Harder, California Lucy McBath, Georgia Kim Schrier, Washington Lauren Underwood, Illinois Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Donna Shalala, Florida Andy Levin, Michigan, Vice Chair Ilhan Omar, Minnesota David Trone, Maryland Haley Stevens, Michigan Susie Lee, Nevada Joaquin Castro, Texas Lori Trahan, Massachusetts

Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, Ranking Member Phil Roe, Tennessee Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Tim Walberg, Michigan Brett Guthrie, Kentucky Bradley Byrne, Alabama Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Elise Stefanik, New York Rick W. Allen, Georgia Lloyd Smucker, Pennsylvania Jim Banks, Indiana Mark Walker, North Carolina James Comer, Kentucky Ben Cline, Virginia Russ Fulcher, Idaho Van Taylor, Texas Steve Watkins, Kansas Ron Wright, Texas Dan Meuser, Pennsylvania Dusty Johnson, South Dakota Fred Keller, Pennsylvania (since July 10, 2019) Greg Murphy, North Carolina (since September 26, 2019) Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey (since January 16, 2020)

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^[update]:^[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

Bobby Scott, Virginia, Chair Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Joe Courtney, Connecticut Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands Frederica Wilson, Florida Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Mark Takano, California Alma Adams, North Carolina Mark DeSaulnier, California Donald Norcross, New Jersey Pramila Jayapal, Washington Joseph Morelle, New York Susan Wild, Pennsylvania Lucy McBath, Georgia Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Andy Levin, Michigan Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Haley Stevens, Michigan Teresa Leger Fernandez, New Mexico Mondaire Jones, New York Kathy Manning, North Carolina Frank J. Mrvan, Indiana Jamaal Bowman, New York, Vice Chair Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Florida (since February 2, 2022) Mary Peltola, Alaska (since September 29, 2022) Mark Pocan, Wisconsin Joaquin Castro, Texas Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey John Yarmuth, Kentucky Adriano Espaillat, New York Kweisi Mfume, Maryland (since February 11, 2021)

Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, Ranking Member Joe Wilson, South Carolina Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Tim Walberg, Michigan Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Elise Stefanik, New York Rick W. Allen, Georgia Jim Banks, Indiana James Comer, Kentucky Russ Fulcher, Idaho Ron Wright, Texas (until February 7, 2021) Fred Keller, Pennsylvania Greg Murphy, North Carolina Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa Michelle Steel, California Burgess Owens, Utah Bob Good, Virginia Lisa McClain, Michigan Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia (until February 4, 2021) Diana Harshbarger, Tennessee Mary Miller, Illinois Victoria Spartz, Indiana Scott L. Fitzgerald, Wisconsin Madison Cawthorn, North Carolina Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota Brad Finstad, Minnesota (since September 13, 2022) Joe Sempolinski, New York (since September 13, 2022)

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)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
Jehu Baker	Republican	IL	1867	1860
Samuel F. Cary	Republican	OH	1869
Samuel M. Arnell	Republican	TN	1869	1871
Legrand W. Perce	Republican	MS	1871	1873
James Monroe	Republican	OH	1873	1875
Gilbert C. Walker	Democratic	VA	1875	1877
John Goode	Democratic	VA	1877	1881
Jonathan T. Updegraff	Republican	OH	1881	1882
John C. Sherwin	Republican	IL	1882	1883

Committee on Education and Committee on Labor (1883–1947)

Committee on Education						Committee on Labor
Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service		Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
D. Wyatt Aiken	Democratic	SC	1883	1887		James H. Hopkins	Democratic	PA	1883	1885
Allen D. Candler	Democratic	GA	1887	1889		John J. O'Neill	Democratic	MO	1885	1889
James O'Donnell	Republican	MI	1889	1891		William H. Wade	Republican	MO	1889	1891
Walter I. Hayes	Democratic	IA	1891	1892		John C. Tarsney	Democratic	MO	1891	1893
David B. Brunner	Democratic	PA	1892			Lawrence E. McGann	Democratic	IL	1893	1895
Benjamin A. Enloe	Democratic	TN	1892	1895		Thomas W. Phillips	Republican	PA	1895	1897
Galusha A. Grow	Republican	PA	1895	1903		John J. Gardner	Republican	NJ	1897	1911
George N. Southwick	Republican	NY	1903	1909		William B. Wilson	Democratic	PA	1911	1913
James F. Burke	Republican	PA	1909	1911		David J. Lewis	Democratic	MD	1913	1917
Asbury F. Lever	Democratic	SC	1911	1913		James P. Maher	Democratic	NY	1917	1919
Dudley M. Hughes	Democratic	GA	1913	1917		John M. C. Smith	Republican	MI	1919	1921
William J. Sears	Democratic	FL	1917	1919		John I. Nolan	Republican	CA	1921	1922
Simeon D. Fess	Republican	OH	1919	1923		Frederick N. Zihlman	Republican	MD	1922	1925
Frederick W. Dallinger	Republican	MA	1923	1925		William F. Kopp	Republican	IA	1925	1930
Daniel A. Reed	Republican	NY	1925	1931		Richard J. Welch	Republican	CA	1930	1931
John J. Douglass	Democratic	MA	1931	1935		William P. Connery Jr.	Democratic	MA	1931	1937
Vincent L. Palmisano	Democratic	MD	1935	1937		Mary Teresa Norton	Democratic	NJ	1937	1947
William H. Larrabee	Democratic	IN	1937	1943
Graham A. Barden	Democratic	NC	1943	1947

Committee on Education and Labor (1947–1995)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
Fred A. Hartley	Republican	NJ	1947	1949
John Lesinski Sr.	Democratic	MI	1949	1950
Graham A. Barden	Democratic	NC	1950	1953
Samuel K. McConnell	Republican	PA	1953	1955
Graham A. Barden	Democratic	NC	1955	1961
Adam Clayton Powell	Democratic	NY	1961	1967
Carl D. Perkins	Democratic	KY	1967	1984
Augustus F. Hawkins	Democratic	CA	1984	1991
William D. Ford	Democratic	MI	1991	1995

Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities (1995–1997)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
William F. Goodling	Republican	PA	1995	1997

Committee on Education and the Workforce (1997–2007)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
William F. Goodling	Republican	PA	1997	2001
John Boehner	Republican	OH	2001	2006
Buck McKeon	Republican	CA	2006	2007

Committee on Education and Labor (2007–2011)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
George Miller	Democratic	CA	2007	2011

Committee on Education and the Workforce (2011–2019)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
John Kline	Republican	MN	2011	2017
Virginia Foxx	Republican	NC	2017	2019

Committee on Education and Labor (2019–2023)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
Bobby Scott	Democrat	VA	2019	2023

Committee on Education and the Workforce (2023–present)

Chair	Party	State	Start of service	End of service
Virginia Foxx	Republican	NC	2023	present

See also

• Employee Free Choice Act
• List of current United States House of Representatives committees

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.

External links

• Official homepage (Archive)
• House Education and the Workforce Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.