History

The current House Committee on Education and the Workforce was established on January 9, 2023. The Committee’s basic jurisdiction is over education and labor matters, generally.  This includes oversight over matters related to higher and early education, workforce development and protections, and health, employment, labor, and pensions.

The first Committee of jurisdiction, the Committee on Education and Labor, was established on March 21, 1867, in the aftermath of the Civil War and during the growth of American industry. On December 19, 1883, the Committee was divided into two standing committees: the Committee on Education and the Committee on Labor. On January 2, 1947, the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, again, combined the Committees and renamed it the Committee on Education and Labor. On January 4, 1995, the Committee was renamed the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities. On January 7, 1997, the Committee was renamed the Committee on Education and the Workforce. On January 4, 2007, the Committee adopted its original name: the Committee on Education and Labor. On January 5, 2011, the Committee was renamed the Committee on Education and the Workforce. On January 3, 2019, the Committee was renamed as the Committee on Education and Labor. On January 9, 2023, the Committee was renamed the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

 

Committee Membership

Congress
Year
Democrats
Republicans
Membership

118th

2023-

20

25

45

117th

2021-22

29

24

53

116th

2019-20

28

22

50

115th

2017-18

17

23

40

114th

2015-16

16

22

38

113th

2013-14

18

23

41

112th

2011-12

17

23

40

111th

2009-10

30

19

49

110th

2007-08

27

22

49

109th

2005-06

21

26

47

108th

2003-04

22

27

49

107th

2001-02

22

27

49

106th

1999-2000

22

27

49

105th

1997-98

20

25

45

104th

1995-96

19

24

43

103th

1993-94

28

15

43

102th

1991-92

25

15

40

101th

1989-90

23

13

36

100th

1987-88

21

13

34

99th

1985-86

20

14

34

98th

1983-84

25

13

38

97th

1981-82

21

14

35

96th

1979-80

24

13

37

95th

1977-78

25

12

37

Source: Committee Calendars

Past Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members

The Committee on Education and Labor was created on March 21, 1867.

Committee on Education and Labor (1867-1883)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years

John Baker (IL)

 

Union Republican

40th

1867-1869

Samuel M. Arnell (TN)

 

Republican Independent

41st

1869-1871

Legand W. Perce (MS)

 

Republican

42nd

1871-1873

James Monroe (OH)

 

Republican

43rd

1873-1875

Gilbert C. Walker (VA)

 

Conservative

44th

1875-1877

John Goode, Jr. (VA)

 

Democrat

45th-46th

1877-1881

J.T. Updegraff (OH)

 

Republican

47th

1881-1882

John C. Sherwin (IL)

 

Republican

47th

1882-1883

The separate committees on Education and Labor were established in December 1883.

Committee on Education (1883-1947)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years

D. Wyatt Alken (SC)

 

Democrat

48th-49th

1883-1887

Allen D. Candler (GA)

 

Democrat

50th

1887-1889

James O'Donnell (MI)

 

Republican

51st

1889-1891

Walter I. Hayes (IA)

 

Democrat

52nd

1891-1892

David B. Brunner (PA)

 

Democrat

52nd

1892

Benjamin A. Ealoc (TN)

 

Democrat

52nd-53rd

1892-1895

Galusha A. Grow (PA)

 

Republican

54th-57th

1897-1903

 

David A. De Armond (MO)

Democrat

56th-57th

1899-1903

George N. Southwick (NY)

 

Republican

58th-60th

1903-1909

 

Willard D. Vandiver (MO)

Democrat

58th

1903-1905

 

Edwin Y. Webb (NC)

Democrat

59th

1905-1907

James F. Burke (PA)

 

Republican

61st

1909-1911

 

Asbury F. Lever (SC)

Democrat

60th-61st

1907-1911

Asbury F. Lever (SC)

 

Democrat

62nd

1911-1913

 

James F. Burke (PA)

Republican

62nd-63rd

1911-1915

Dudley M. Hughes (GA)

 

Democrat

63rd-64th

1913-1917

 

Caleb Powers (KY)

Republican

64th-65th

1915-1919

William J. Sears (FL)

 

Democrat

65th

1917-1919

Simeon D. Fees (OH)

 

Republican

66th-67th

1919-1923

 

William J. Sears (FL)

Democrat

66th

1919-1921

 

William B. Bankhead (AL)

Democrat

67th

1921-1923

Frederick W. Dallinger (MA)

 

Republican

68th

1923-1925

 

Bill Green Lowrey (MS)

Democrat

68th-70th

1923-1929

Daniel A. Reed (NY)

 

Republican

69th-71st

1925-1931

 

Loring M. Black Jr. (NY)

Democrat

71st

1929-1931

John J. Douglas (MA)

 

Democrat

72nd-73rd

1931-1935

 

Daniel A. Reed (NY)

Republican

72nd

1931-1933

 

James L. Whitley (NY)

Republican

73rd

1933-1935

Vincent L. Palmisano (MD)

 

Democrat

74th-75th

1935-1937

 

Albert E. Carter (CA)

Republican

74th

1935-1937

William H. Larrabee (IN)

 

Democrat

75th-77th

1937-1943

 

George A. Dondero (MI)

Republican

75th-79th

1937-1947

Graham A. Barden (NC)

 

Democrat

78th-79th

1943-1947

Committee on Labor (1883-1947)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years

James H. Hopkins (PA)

 

Democrat

48th

1883-1885

John J. O'Neill (MO)

 

Democrat

49th-50th

1885-1889

William H. Wade (MO)

 

Republican

51st

1889-1891

John C. Tarsney (MO)

 

Democrat

52nd

1891-1893

Lawrence M. McGann (IL)

 

Democrat

53rd

1893-1895

Thomas W. Phillips (PA)

 

Republican

54th

1895-1897

 

Willaim Jasper Talbert (SC)

Democrat

56th-57th

1899-1903

John J. Gardner (NJ)

 

Republican

55th-61st

1897-1911

 

Ben F. Caldwell (IL)

Democrat

58th

1903-1905

 

William Randolph Hearst (NY)

Democrat

59th

1905-1907

 

Henry R. Ralney (IL)

Democrat

60th-61st

1907-1911

William B. Wilson (PA)

 

Democrat

62nd

1911-1913

 

John J. Gardner (NJ)

Republican

62nd

1911-1913

David J. Lewis (MD)

 

Democrat

63rd-64th

1913-1917

 

John M.C. Smith (MI)

Republican

63rd-65th

1913-1919

James P. Maher (NY)

 

Democrat

65th

1917-1919

J.M.C. Smith (MI)

 

Republican

66th

1919-1921

 

James P. Maher (NY)

Democrat

66th

1919-1921

John I. Nolan (CA)

 

Republican

67th

1921-1922

 

Eugene Black (TX)

Democrat

67th

1921-1923

Frederick N. Zihlman (MD)

 

Republican

67th-68th

1922-1925

 

William D. Upshaw (GA)

Democrat

68th-69th

1923-1927

William F. Kopp (IA)

 

Republican

69th-71st

1925-1930

 

William P. Connery Jr. (MA)

Democrat

70th-71st

1927-1931

William P. Connery, Jr. (MA)

 

Democrat

72nd-75th

1931-1937

 

Richard Welch (CA)

Republican

72nd-79th

1931-1947

Mary T. Norton (NJ)

 

Democrat

75th-79th

1937-1947

The two separate committees were terminated on January 7, 1947, and the Committee on Education and Labor was re-created as of that date.

Committee on Education and Labor (1947-1995)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years
Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (NJ)
 
Republican
80th
1947-1949
 
John Lesinski (MI)
Democrat
80th
1947-1949
John Lesinski (MI)
 
Democrat
81st
1949-1950
 
Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. (PA)
Republican
81st-82nd
1949-1953
Graham A. Barden (NC)
 
Democrat
81st-82nd
1950-1953
Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. (PA)
 
Republican
83rd
1953-1955
 
Graham A. Barden (NC)
Democrat
83rd
1953-1955
Graham A. Barden (NC)
 
Democrat
84th-86th
1955-1961
 
Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. (PA)
Republican
84th-85th
1955-1957
 
Ralph W. Gwins (NY)
Republican
85th
1957-1959
 
Carroll D. Kearns (PA)
Republican
86th-87th
1959-1963
Adam C. Powell (NY)
 
Democrat
87th-89th
1961-1966
 
Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen (NJ)
Republican
88th
1963-1965
 
William H. Ayres (OH)
Republican
89th-91st
1965-1971
Carl D. Perkins (KY)
 
Democrat
90th-98th
1967-1984
 
Albert H. Quie (MN)
Republican
92nd-95th
1971-1978
 
John M. Ashbrook (OH)
Republican
96th-97th
1979-1982
 
John N. Erlenborn (IL)
Republican
97th-98th
1982-1984
Augustus F. Hawkins (CA)
 
Democrat
98th-101st
1984-1991
 
James M. Jeffords (VT)
Republican
99th-100th
1985-1988
 
William F. Goodling (PA)
Republican
101st-103rd
1989-1995
William D. Ford (MI)
 
Democrat
102nd-103rd
1991-1995

On January 4, 1995, the Committee's name was changed to the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities.

Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities (1995-1997)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years
William F. Goodling (PA)
 
Republican
104th
1995-1997
 
William L. Clay (MO)
Democrat
104th
1995-1997

On January 7, 1997, the Committee's name was changed to the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Committee on Education and the Workforce (1997-2006 )

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years
William F. Goodling (PA)
 
Republican
105th-106th
1997-2000
 
William L. Clay (MO)
Democrat
105th-106th
1997-2000
John A. Boehner (OH)
 
Republican
107th-109th
2001-2006
 
George Miller (CA)
Democrat
107th-109th
2001-2006
Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (CA)
 
Republican
109th-110th
2006-2007

On January 4, 2007, the Committee's name was changed to the Committee on Education and Labor.

Committee on Education and Labor (2007-2011)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years
George Miller (CA)
 
Democrat
110th-111th
2007-2011
 
Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (CA)
Republican
110th-111th
2007-2009
 
John Kline (MI)
Republican
111th-111th
2009-2011

In January 2011, the Committee's name was changed to the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Committee on Education and the Workforce (2011-2019)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years
John Kline (MI)
 
Republican
112th
2011-2013
 
George Miller (CA)
Democrat
112th
2011-2013
John Kline (MI)
 
Republican
113th
2013-2015
 
George Miller (CA)
Democrat
113th
2013-2015
John Kline (MI)
 
Republican
114th
2015-2017
 
Robert C. Scott (VA)
Democrat
114th
2015-2017
Virginia Foxx (NC)
 
Republican
115th
2017-2019
 
Robert C. Scott (VA)
Democrat
115th
2017-2019

In January 2019, the Committee's name was changed to the Committee on Education and Labor.

Committee on Education and Labor (2019-2022)

CHAIR
RANKING MINORITY MEMBER
PARTY
CONGRESS
YEARS
Robert C. Scott (VA)
 
Democrat
116th
2019-2020
 
Virginia Foxx (NC)
Republican
116th
2019-2020
Robert C. Scott (VA)
 
Democrat
117th
2021-2022
 
Virginia Foxx (NC)
Republican
117th
2021-2022

Committee on Education and the Workforce (2023-)

Chair
Ranking Minority Member
Party
Congress
Years
Virginia Foxx (NC)
 
Republican
118th
2023-
 
Robert C. Scott (VA)
Democrat
118th
2023-

In January 2023, the Committee's name was changed to the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Archived Websites from Previous Congresses

Archived Website from the 116th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 116th Congress: Republicans »

Archived Website from the 115th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 115th Congress: Republicans »

Archived Website from the 114th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 114th Congress: Republicans »

Archived Website from the 113th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 113th Congress: Republicans »

Archived Website from the 112th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 112th Congress: Republicans »

Archived Website from the 111th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 111th Congress: Republicans »

Archived Website from the 110th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 110th Congress: Republicans »

Archived Website from the 109th Congress: Democrats »

Archived Website from the 109th Congress: Republicans »