Meet the New Faces and New Leaders Tackling Workforce Policy in Congress

By Mitch Coppes, Federal Government Affairs Manager, Goodwill Industries International

The 119th Congress welcomes 65 freshman members of the House of Representatives and 12 new Senators. In some of the key congressional committees that oversee federal workforce and employment policies, these freshman lawmakers have joined their ranks as veteran members have taken on new roles.

The House Education and Workforce Committee has a new leader in the 119th Congress. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) succeeded Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who has been the top Republican on the committee since 2017, as chair of the committee. Rep. Walberg spoke recently about his priorities on workforce policies going forward. “We will pursue legislation that unleashes the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the American workforce,” said Walberg. “In order to do that, we must bolster policies that support multiple pathways to success. Bottom line, we want students, workers, and job creators to have the skills they need to be competitive in the 21st century.”

Freshman Representatives Bob Onder (R-MO), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Mark Harris (R-NC), Mark Messmer (R-IN), John Mannion (D-NY) are the newest members of the Education and Workforce Committee.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has taken over as chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Sen. Cassidy was the top-ranking Republican on the committee during the 118th Congress and was part of a bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Freshman Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) have joined the HELP Committee. Sens. Blunt Rochester, Kim, and Banks all previously served in the House of Representatives. During their time in the House, Sen. Banks was a long-time member of the Education and Workforce Committee while Sen. Blunt Rochester sponsored legislation to automatically seal the federal criminal records of individuals convicted of low-level drug offenses.

By building strong relationships and engaging in grassroots advocacy, local Goodwill organizations can be an important resource to freshman and veteran lawmakers in their work to advance policy solutions in Congress that will improve employment outcomes and promote economic opportunities for their constituents. Register for the GII Legislative Action Center to receive updates and resources on the new Congress.