Walberg to Chair House Education and the Workforce Committee

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI-5), a longtime friend of the Association, will take over as Chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee for outgoing Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5).

The House Republican steering committee selected Walberg on Thursday over Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah-4), each lawmaker having made their case for the gavel.

• Rep. Owens’ bid focused on rolling back Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs and his emphasis across the committee’s jurisdiction was pointedly on higher education.

• Rep. Walberg focused on his seniority, connections with the incoming Trump administration, and vowed to focus on the workforce stating, “if we don’t have a good workforce, we don’t have a strong country.”

The incoming Chair will work with Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) who recently locked down the Chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. 

Why it matters: Both the House and Senate now have experienced leaders heading committees with jurisdiction over key workplace issues. Although they maintain strong working relationships with the incoming Trump administration, they have demonstrated a willingness to act independently.