The United States House Committee on Education and Workforce (also known as Committee on Education and the Workforce) is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. There are 45 members of this committee. Since 2025, the chair of the Education and Workforce committee is Republican Tim Walberg of Michigan.
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.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 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.Wall Street Journal: Republicans Labor to Avoid ‘Labor’ 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 2023, the 118th Congress renamed the committee as the Committee on Education and the Workforce again.PBS: There are new House rules under GOP leadership. Here’s a short guide
Jurisdiction Education policy Elementary and secondary education initiatives including the Every Student Succeeds Act, school choice for low-income families, special education (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and teacher quality and education Postsecondary education programs, including the Higher Education Act, which supports college access for low- and middle-income students and helps families pay for college; Workforce development and skills development activities and adult education, and workforce development initiatives, including those under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which help local communities reskill and upskill workers; Early childhood care and preschool education programs, including Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant; Career and technical education programs; School lunch and child nutrition programs; Programs for the care and treatment of at-risk youth, child abuse prevention, and adoption; Programs for older Americans; Educational research and improvement; Work requirements under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and other federal programs; Adolescent development programs, including but not limited to those providing for the care and treatment of certain at-risk youth, including the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and Anti-poverty programs, including the Community Services Block Grant Act and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Workforce policy Pensions, health care, and other employer-sponsored benefits covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); Application of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to collective bargaining and union representation; Occupational safety and health and mine safety; Unpaid, job-protected leave as outlined in the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as well as "comp time" or family friendly work schedules; Equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); Various temporary worker programs under the Immigration and Nationality Act; Wage and hour requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); Prevailing wage requirements for federal contractors under the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act; Workers' compensation for federal employees, energy employees, longshore and harbor employees, and individuals affected by black lung disease; and Matters dealing with employer and employee relations, as well as union transparency (the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act).
Members, 119th Congress MajorityMinorityTim Walberg, Michigan, Chair Joe Wilson, South Carolina Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Elise Stefanik, New York Rick Allen, Georgia James Comer, Kentucky Burgess Owens, Utah, Vice Chair Lisa McClain, Michigan Mary Miller, Illinois Julia Letlow, Louisiana Kevin Kiley, California (from April 15, 2026)Rep. Kiley left the Republican party and conference on March 9, 2026. On March 18, pursuant to the House rules, his committee assignments were voided. He was reappointed to his committees on April 15, 2026. Erin Houchin, Indiana Michael Rulli, Ohio James Moylan, Guam (from February 5, 2025) Bob Onder, Missouri Ryan Mackenzie, Pennsylvania Michael Baumgartner, Washington Mark Harris, North Carolina Mark Messmer, Indiana Randy Fine, Florida (from April 8, 2025)Bobby Scott, Virginia, Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva, Arizona (until March 13, 2025) Joe Courtney, Connecticut Frederica Wilson, Florida Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Mark Takano, California Alma Adams, North Carolina Mark DeSaulnier, California Donald Norcross, New Jersey Lucy McBath, Georgia Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Haley Stevens, Michigan Greg Casar, Texas, Vice Ranking Member Summer Lee, Pennsylvania John Mannion, New York Yassamin Ansari, Arizona (from May 20, 2025 but no longer on the committee) Adelita Grijalva, Arizona (from November 18, 2025)
Resolutions electing members: (Chair), (Ranking Member), (R), (D), (Moylan), (Fine), (Ansari), (Grijalva), (Kiley)
Subcommittees SubcommitteeChairRanking MemberEarly Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary EducationKevin Kiley (R-CA) (until March 18, 2026)Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)Health, Employment, Labor, and PensionsRick Allen (R-GA)Mark Desaulnier (D-CA)Higher Education and Workforce DevelopmentBurgess Owens (R-UT)Alma Adams (D-NC)Workforce ProtectionsRyan Mackenzie (R-PA)Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
Leadership The committee keeps a record of party leadership for all its predecessors, including the ranking minority members.
Committee on Education and Labor (1867–1883) + ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanIL18671860RepublicanOH1869RepublicanTN18691871RepublicanMS18711873RepublicanOH18731875DemocraticVA18751877DemocraticVA18771881RepublicanOH18811882RepublicanIL18821883
Committee on Education (1883–1947) + ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticSC18831887DemocraticGA18871889RepublicanMI18891891DemocraticIA18911892DemocraticPA1892DemocraticTN18921895RepublicanPA18951903RepublicanNY19031909RepublicanPA19091911DemocraticSC19111913DemocraticGA19131917DemocraticFL19171919RepublicanOH19191923RepublicanMA19231925RepublicanNY19251931DemocraticMA19311935DemocraticMD19351937DemocraticIN19371943DemocraticNC19431947 + Ranking membersNamePartyStateStartEndDemocratMO18891903DemocraticMO19031905DemocraticNC19051907DemocraticSC19071911RepublicanPA19111915RepublicanKY19151919DemocraticFL19191921DemocraticAL19211923DemocraticMS19231929DemocraticNY19291931RepublicanNY19311933RepublicanNY19331935RepublicanCA19351937RepublicanMI19371947
Committee on Labor (1883–1947) + ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticPA18831885DemocraticMO18851889RepublicanMO18891891DemocraticMO18911893DemocraticIL18931895RepublicanPA18951897RepublicanNJ18971911DemocraticPA19111913DemocraticMD19131917DemocraticNY19171919RepublicanMI19191921RepublicanCA19211922RepublicanMD19221925RepublicanIA19251930RepublicanCA19301931DemocraticMA19311937DemocraticNJ19371947 + Ranking membersNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticSC18891903DemocraticIL19031905DemocraticNY19051907DemocraticIL19071911RepublicanNJ19111913RepublicanMI19131919DemocraticNY19191921DemocraticTX19211923DemocraticGA19231927DemocraticMA19271931RepublicanCA19311947
Committee on Education and Labor (1947–1995) + ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanNJ19471949DemocraticMI19491950DemocraticNC19501953RepublicanPA19531955DemocraticNC19551961DemocraticNY19611967DemocraticKY19671984DemocraticCA19841991DemocraticMI19911995 + Ranking membersNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticMI19471949RepublicanPA19491953DemocraticNC19531955RepublicanPA19551957RepublicanNY19571959RepublicanPA19591963RepublicanNJ19631965RepublicanOH19651971RepublicanMN19711979RepublicanOH19791982RepublicanIL19821985RepublicanVT19851989RepublicanPA19891995
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities (1995–1997) + ChairNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanPA19951997 + Ranking memberNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticMO19951997
Committee on Education and the Workforce (1997–2007) + ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanPA19972001RepublicanOH20012006RepublicanCA20062007 + Ranking membersNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticMO19972001DemocraticCA20012007
Committee on Education and Labor (2007–2011) + ChairNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticCA20072011 + Ranking membersNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanCA20072009RepublicanMI20092011
Committee on Education and the Workforce (2011–2019) + ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanMN20112017RepublicanNC20172019 + Ranking membersNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticCA20112015DemocraticVA20152019
Committee on Education and Labor (2019–2023) + ChairNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticVA20192023 + Ranking memberNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanNC20192023
Committee on Education and the Workforce (2023–2025) + ChairNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanNC20232025 + Ranking memberNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticVA20232025
Committee on Education and Workforce (2025–present) + ChairNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanMI2025present + Ranking memberNamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticVA2025present
Historical membership rosters 115th Congress MajorityMinorityVirginia 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, GeorgiaBobby Scott, Virginia, Ranking Member Susan Davis, California Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Joe Courtney, Connecticut Marcia Fudge, Ohio Jared Polis, Colorado Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana IslandsSablan is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats. 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: (Chair), (Ranking Member), (D), (R), (D), (R)
116th Congress MajorityMinorityBobby Scott, Virginia, Chair Susan Davis, California Raúl Grijalva, Arizona Joe Courtney, Connecticut Marcia Fudge, Ohio