A new term in Congress brings new members to the authorizing committees dealing with education, as well as a new chair in the Senate. Learn more about the new members and their connections to education.
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS (HELP) COMMITTEE
Chair: Patty Murray (D-WA): Helped reauthorize ESEA and the Head Start program, helped raise the maximum Pell Grant amount, and introduced bills focused on 21st century careers, financial and economic literacy, and more. She is a former preschool advocate and school board member. Read more
Ranking Member: Richard Burr (R-NC): Fought to end Common Core and No Child Left Behind, co-authored the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act and authored the law establishing master’s degrees at HBCUs. Read more
New Members
John Hickenlooper (D-CO): Helped create free, high-quality preschool for more than 55,000 students as Denver mayor; pledges to prioritize early education, investing in educators, college affordability, and expanding alternative pathways. Read more
Ben Ray Luján (D-NM): Advocates for expanding Wi-Fi, college affordability, and making sure students are healthy and safe; a Head Start graduate. Read more
Roger Marshall (R-KS): Taught Sunday school for over 25 years. Read more
Jerry Moran (R-KS): States that success requires students who want to learn, dedicated teachers, goal-oriented administrators, and supportive parents and community members. Argues districts are best-suited to determine how to best use federal dollars. Read more
Tommy Tuberville (R-AL): Expresses concern for the state of American history and civic education as well as for the inclusion of transgender student athletes; a former college football coach. Read more
Returning Members
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). Mike Braun (R-IN)
Robert P. Casey, Jr (D-PA) Susan Collins (R-ME)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH) Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA)
Tim Kaine (D-VA) Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT) Rand Paul (R-KY)
Jacky Rosen (D-NV) Tim Scott (R-SC)
Bernie Sanders (D-VT) Mitt Romney (R-UT)
Tina Smith (D-MN)
HOUSE EDUCATION AND LABOR COMMITTEE
Chair: Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA): Co-authored ESSA; prioritizes improving equity, college affordability, CTE, and more. Read more
Ranking Member: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC): Focuses on maintaining high standards and giving decision-making power to local officials; a former college professor and community college president. Read more
New Members
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY): Helped found a middle school; argues for a “New Deal for Public Education” to prioritize investing in public schools, paying teachers a living wage, and funding nurses, counselors, and social workers in every school; a former educator. Read more
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY): Advocates for STEM and CTE programs, college affordability, and proper implementation of ESSA. Read more
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM): Prioritizes early childhood education, college affordability, and apprenticeships and vocational schools; a Head Start graduate. Read more
Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY): Founded the nonprofit Rising Leaders, Inc., which teaches professional skills to underserved middle school students in three cities in the U.S. Read more
Rep. Kathy E. Manning (D-NC): Champions early childhood education and college scholarships through nonprofit organizations. Read more
Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD): Supports quality public education, new school construction, and policies to eliminate student debt. Read more
Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN): Worked with teachers and school districts to create the No More Secrets program to protect children from predators; plans to work to ensure public funds are used to support public education. Read more
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI): Supports efforts to modernize classrooms, reduce class size, enhance special education programs, make college affordable, provide pre-K to all 4-year-olds, and ensure teachers are qualified; serves on the Appropriation Committee’s education subcommittee. Read more
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ): Supports college affordability, protecting funding for public schools and students, and addressing disparity in outcomes by race and socioeconomic background. Read more
Rep. John A. Yarmuth (D-KY): Prioritizes comprehensive literacy programs, college affordability, increasing Pell Grant scholarships, and early childhood education. Read more
Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC): Homeschooled before attending North Carolina State University on an ROTC scholarship. Read more
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI): Believes in expanding school choice programs and helping students transition from the classroom to the workforce. Link
Rep. Bob Good (R-VA): Fought the “transgender bathroom mandate” for public schools; a former leader at Liberty University. Read more
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN): Supports school choice and state- and local-decision-making for education; a first-generation high school and college graduate. Read more
Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA): Believes education is a catalyst to elevate her district out of poverty; served in administrator and teaching roles at the University of Louisiana Monroe, Tulane University School of Medicine, and the University of South Florida. Read More
Rep. Lisa C. McClain (R-MI): Pledges to prioritize advocating for schools to reopen in-person full-time. Read more
Rep. Mary E. Miller (R-IL): Sponsors the Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act to interpret “sex” as biological instead of gender identity under Title IX. Read more
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA): Advocates for reopening schools for in-person instruction. Read more
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT): Believes the Education Department has grown beyond its original purpose and supports local control over education decisions; a former NFL player. Read more
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN): Focuses on giving states flexibility to improve K-12 education, making college affordable, and preparing students for the workforce. Read more
Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA): Advocates for expanding school choice, supporting teachers, returning decision-making to parents and local decision makers, and college affordability. Read more
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC): Support school choice, local governance of schools, and fiscally responsible reforms to improve educational opportunities from pre-K through higher education. Read more
Returning Members:
Alma S. Adams (D-NC) Rick W. Allen (R-GA)
Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) Jim Banks (R-IN)
Joaquin Castro (D-TX). James Comer (R-KY)
Joe Courtney (D-CT) Russ Fulcher (R-ID)
Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) Glenn Grothman (R-WI)
Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) Fred Keller (R-PA)
Jahana Hayes (D-CT). Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC)
Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY)
Andy Levin (D-MI) Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
Lucy McBath (D-GA). Tim Walberg (R-MI)
Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY)
Donald Norcross (D-NJ)
Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands)
Haley M. Stevens (D-MI)
Mark Takano (D-CA)
Susan Wild (D-PA)
Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL)