United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

(Redirected from U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources) Standing committee of the United States Senate

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Standing committee
Active United States Senate 118th Congress
History
Formed	January 28, 1869
Leadership
Chair	Bernie Sanders (I) Since January 3, 2023
Ranking member	Bill Cassidy (R) Since January 3, 2023
Structure
Seats	21
Political parties	Majority (11) Democratic (11) Minority (10) Republican (10)
Jurisdiction
Oversight authority	Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor
House counterpart	House Committee on Education and Labor
Meeting place
428 Senate Dirksen Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Website
help.senate.gov
Rules
Rule XXV.1.(m), Standing Rules of the Senate Rules of Procedure U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary

The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) generally considers matters relating to these issues. Its jurisdiction also extends beyond these issues to include several more specific areas, as defined by Senate rules.

History

While currently known as the HELP Committee, the committee was originally founded on January 28, 1869, as the Committee on Education. Its name was changed to the Committee on Education and Labor on February 14, 1870, when petitions relating to labor were to its jurisdiction from the Committee on Naval Affairs.

The committee’s jurisdiction at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries focused largely on issues relating to federal employees’ working conditions and federal education aid. Prominent action considered by the committee in the 1910s and 1920s included the creation of a national minimum wage, the establishments of a Department of Labor, a Department of Education, and a Children’s Bureau. During the 1930s, the committee took action on the National Labor Relations Act, the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act of 1936 and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

In 1944, the jurisdiction of the Public Health Service was transferred from the Commerce Committee to the Committee on Education and Labor, adding issues relating to public health matters to its jurisdiction. The committee's name was changed during the 80th Congress to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare as part of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (Public Law 79-601). The act further expanded the committee's oversight to include the rehabilitation, health, and education of veterans. Mine safety was also added to the committee’s jurisdiction in 1949.

During the Administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the committee took the lead in shaping legislation as part of Johnson's War on Poverty, resulting in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Through the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-510), certain issues pertaining to veterans were transferred to the newly created Committee on Veterans Affairs. In the 95th Congress, the Senate passed S. Res. 4, which renamed the committee to be the Committee on Human Resources. However, the name was again changed in the 96th Congress by S. Res. 30 to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources. On March 18, 1992, the committee’s jurisdiction was updated to include all of the areas listed below. The committee was given its current name, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, on January 19, 1999, by S. Res. 20.

On July 25, 2024, the committee voted 16-4 to issue its first-ever subpoena, compelling the testimony of Steward Health Care's CEO Ralph de la Torre in relation to accusations of mismanagement of the health system.

Jurisdictional areas

Under the Rule 25 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following subject matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Committee:

Measures relating to education, labor, health, and public welfare
Aging
Agricultural colleges
Arts and humanities
Biomedical research and development
Child labor
Convict labor and the entry of goods made by convicts into interstate commerce
Domestic activities of the American Red Cross
Equal employment opportunity
Gallaudet University, Howard University, and St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Individuals with disabilities
Labor standards and labor statistics
Mediation and arbitration of labor disputes
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, including the welfare of miners.
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Private pension plans
Public health
Railway labor and retirement
Regulation of foreign laborers
Student loans
Wages and hours of labor, including the federal minimum wage

Members, 118th Congress

Main article: 118th United States Congress

Majority	Minority
Bernie Sanders, Vermont Chairman Patty Murray, Washington Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Tim Kaine, Virginia Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Tina Smith, Minnesota Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico John Hickenlooper, Colorado Ed Markey, Massachusetts	Bill Cassidy, Louisiana, Ranking Member Rand Paul, Kentucky Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Mike Braun, Indiana Roger Marshall, Kansas Mitt Romney, Utah Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma Ted Budd, North Carolina

Subcommittees

Subcommittee Name
Children and Families	Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)	Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
Employment and Workplace Safety	John Hickenlooper (D-CO)	Mike Braun (R-IN)
Primary Health and Retirement Security	Ed Markey (D-MA)	Roger Marshall (R-KS)

Historical members

110th Congress

Majority	Minority
Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts, Chair Chris Dodd, Connecticut, Vice Chair Tom Harkin, Iowa Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Patty Murray, Washington Jack Reed, Rhode Island Hillary Clinton, New York Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sherrod Brown, Ohio Barack Obama, Illinois, until November 16, 2008	Mike Enzi, Wyoming, Ranking Member Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Richard Burr, North Carolina Johnny Isakson, Georgia Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Orrin Hatch, Utah Pat Roberts, Kansas Wayne Allard, Colorado Tom Coburn, Oklahoma

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Children and Families	Chris Dodd (D-CT)	Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety	Patty Murray (D-WA)	Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Subcommittee on Retirement and Aging	Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)	Richard Burr (R-NC)

111th Congress

The Committee was chaired by Democrat Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts until his death on August 25, 2009. Under seniority rules, Acting Chairman Christopher Dodd was next in line, but Dodd chose instead to remain chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Tom Harkin, next in line by seniority, assumed the chairmanship on September 9, 2009, vacating his post as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Republican Mike Enzi of Wyoming continued to serve as Ranking Member.

Majority	Minority
Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts, Chair until June 9, 2009 Tom Harkin, Iowa, Chair from September 9, 2009 Chris Dodd, Connecticut, Acting Chair from June 9, 2009 – September 9, 2009 Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Patty Murray, Washington Jack Reed, Rhode Island Bernie Sanders, Vermont Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Kay Hagan, North Carolina Jeff Merkley, Oregon Al Franken, Minnesota, from June 7, 2009 Michael Bennet, Colorado Carte Goodwin, West Virginia, July 2010 – November 2010 Joe Manchin, West Virginia, from November 2010	Mike Enzi, Wyoming, Ranking Member Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Richard Burr, North Carolina Johnny Isakson, Georgia John McCain, Arizona Orrin Hatch, Utah Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Pat Roberts, Kansas

Majority

Minority

Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts, Chair until June 9, 2009
Tom Harkin, Iowa, Chair from September 9, 2009
Chris Dodd, Connecticut, Acting Chair from June 9, 2009 – September 9, 2009
Barbara Mikulski, Maryland
Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico
Patty Murray, Washington
Jack Reed, Rhode Island
Bernie Sanders, Vermont
Bob Casey, Pennsylvania
Kay Hagan, North Carolina
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Al Franken, Minnesota, from June 7, 2009
Michael Bennet, Colorado
Carte Goodwin, West Virginia, July 2010 – November 2010
Joe Manchin, West Virginia, from November 2010

Mike Enzi, Wyoming, Ranking Member
Judd Gregg, New Hampshire
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
Richard Burr, North Carolina
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
John McCain, Arizona
Orrin Hatch, Utah
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
Tom Coburn, Oklahoma
Pat Roberts, Kansas

Source: 2010 Congressional Record, Vol. 156, Page S6226 ,

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Children and Families	Chris Dodd (D-CT)	Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety	Patty Murray (D-WA)	Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Subcommittee on Retirement and Aging	Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)	Richard Burr (R-NC)

112th Congress

Majority	Minority
Tom Harkin, Iowa, Chairman Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Kay Hagan, North Carolina Jeff Merkley, Oregon Al Franken, Minnesota Michael Bennet, Colorado Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut	Mike Enzi, Wyoming, Ranking Member Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Richard Burr, North Carolina Johnny Isakson, Georgia Rand Paul, Kentucky Orrin Hatch, Utah John McCain, Arizona Pat Roberts, Kansas Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Mark Kirk, Illinois

Source: 2011 Congressional Record, Vol. 157, Page S557

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Children and Families	Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)	Richard Burr (R-NC)
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety	Patty Murray (D-WA)	Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging	Bernie Sanders (I-VT)	Rand Paul (R-KY)

113th Congress

Majority	Minority
Tom Harkin, Iowa, Chair Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Patty Murray, Washington Bernie Sanders, Vermont Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Kay Hagan, North Carolina Al Franken, Minnesota Michael Bennet, Colorado Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts	Lamar Alexander, Tennessee, Ranking member Mike Enzi, Wyoming Richard Burr, North Carolina Johnny Isakson, Georgia Rand Paul, Kentucky Orrin Hatch, Utah Pat Roberts, Kansas Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Mark Kirk, Illinois Tim Scott, South Carolina

Source: 2013 Congressional Record, Vol. 159, Page S296 to 297

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Children and Families	Kay Hagan (D-NC)	Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Employment and Workplace Safety	Bob Casey (D-PA)	Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Primary Health and Aging	Bernie Sanders (I-VT)	Richard Burr (R-NC)

114th Congress

Majority	Minority
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee, Chair Mike Enzi, Wyoming Richard Burr, North Carolina Johnny Isakson, Georgia Rand Paul, Kentucky Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Mark Kirk, Illinois Tim Scott, South Carolina Orrin Hatch, Utah Pat Roberts, Kansas Bill Cassidy, Louisiana	Patty Murray, Washington, Ranking Member Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Al Franken, Minnesota Michael Bennet, Colorado Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts

Source

Source: 2015 Congressional Record, Vol. 161, Page S67 to 68

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Children and Families	Rand Paul (R-KY)	Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)
Employment and Workplace Safety	Johnny Isakson (R-GA)	Al Franken (D-MN)
Primary Health and Retirement Security	Mike Enzi (R-WY)	Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

115th Congress

Majority	Minority
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee, Chair Mike Enzi, Wyoming Richard Burr, North Carolina Johnny Isakson, Georgia Rand Paul, Kentucky Susan Collins, Maine Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Todd Young, Indiana Orrin Hatch, Utah Pat Roberts, Kansas Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Tim Scott, South Carolina	Patty Murray, Washington, Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, Vermont Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Michael Bennet, Colorado Al Franken, Minnesota (until January 2, 2018) Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Tim Kaine, Virginia Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Tina Smith, Minnesota (from January 3, 2018) Doug Jones, Alabama (from January 3, 2018)

116th Congress

Main article: 116th United States Congress

Majority	Minority
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee, Chairman Mike Enzi, Wyoming Richard Burr, North Carolina Johnny Isakson, Georgia (until December 31, 2019) Rand Paul, Kentucky Susan Collins, Maine Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Pat Roberts, Kansas Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Tim Scott, South Carolina Mitt Romney, Utah Mike Braun, Indiana Kelly Loeffler, Georgia (from January 6, 2020)	Patty Murray, Washington, Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, Vermont Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Tim Kaine, Virginia Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Tina Smith, Minnesota Doug Jones, Alabama Jacky Rosen, Nevada

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Children and Families	Rand Paul (R-KY)	Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)
Employment and Workplace Safety	Tim Scott (R-SC)	Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Primary Health and Retirement Security	Mike Enzi (R-WY)	Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

117th Congress

Main article: 117th United States Congress

Majority	Minority
Patty Murray, Washington, Chairwoman Bernie Sanders, Vermont Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Tim Kaine, Virginia Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Tina Smith, Minnesota Jacky Rosen, Nevada Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico John Hickenlooper, Colorado	Richard Burr, North Carolina, Ranking Member Rand Paul, Kentucky Susan Collins, Maine Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Tim Scott, South Carolina Mitt Romney, Utah Mike Braun, Indiana Roger Marshall, Kansas Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Jerry Moran, Kansas

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Children and Families	Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)	Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Employment and Workplace Safety	John Hickenlooper (D-CO)	Mike Braun (R-IN)
Primary Health and Retirement Security	Bernie Sanders (I-VT)	Susan Collins (R-ME)

Defunct subcommittees

The committee has had other subcommittees in the past, such as:

the Subcommittee on Migratory Labor during the 1950s through 1970s.
the Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research during the 1970s.
the Subcommittee Investigating Violations of Free Speech and the Rights of Labor, informally known as the "La Follette Civil Liberties Committee"

Chairpersons

Education 1869–1870

Charles D. Drake (R-MO) 1869–1870

Education and Labor, 1870 – 1947

Frederick Sawyer (R-SC) 1870–1873
James W. Flanagan (R-TX) 1873–1875
Orris S. Ferry (R-CT) 1875
John J. Patterson (R-SC) 1875–1877
Ambrose Burnside (R-RI) 1877–1879
James E. Bailey (D-TN) 1879–1881
Henry W. Blair (R-NH) 1881–1891
Joseph M. Carey (R-WY) 1891–1893
James H. Kyle (PO-SD) 1893–1895
George Shoup (R-ID) 1895–1897
James H. Kyle (PO-SD) 1897–1901
Louis McComas (R-MD) 1901–1905
Boies Penrose (R-PA) 1905
Jonathan P. Dolliver (R-IA) 1905–1909
William E. Borah (R-ID) 1909–1913
Hoke Smith (D-GA) 1913–1919
William S. Kenyon (R-IA) 1919–1922
William E. Borah (R-ID) 1922–1924
Lawrence C. Phipps (R-CO) 1924–1926
James Couzens (R-MI) 1926–1929
Jesse H. Metcalf (R-RI) 1929–1933
David I. Walsh (D-MA) 1933–1937
Hugo L. Black (D-AL) 1937
Elbert D. Thomas (D-UT) 1937–1945
James E. Murray (D-MT) 1945–1947

Labor and Public Welfare, 1947–1977

Robert A. Taft (R-OH) 1947–1949
Elbert D. Thomas (D-UT) 1949–1951
James E. Murray (D-MT) 1951–1953
H. Alexander Smith (R-NJ) 1953–1955
Lister Hill (D-AL) 1955–1969
Ralph Yarborough (D-TX) 1969–1971
Harrison A. Williams, Jr. (D-NJ) 1971–1977

Human Resources, 1977–1979

Harrison A. Williams, Jr. (D-NJ) 1977–1979

Labor and Human Resources, 1979–1999

Harrison A. Williams, Jr. (D-NJ) 1979–1981
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) 1981–1987
Ted Kennedy (D-MA) 1987–1995
Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) 1995–1997
James M. Jeffords (R-VT) 1997–1999

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, 1999–present

James M. Jeffords (R-VT) 1999–2001
Ted Kennedy (D-MA) 2001
James M. Jeffords (R-VT) 2001
Ted Kennedy (D-MA) 2001–2003
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 2003–2005
Michael Enzi (R-WY) 2005–2007
Ted Kennedy (D-MA) 2007–2009
Chris Dodd (D-CT) 2009, acting
Tom Harkin (D-IA) 2009–2015
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 2015–2021
Patty Murray (D-WA) 2021–2023
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 2023–present

References

"U.S. Senate. Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. 1/19/1999- Organization Authority Record". National Archives.
Weixel, Nathaniel (July 25, 2024). "Senate panel votes to subpoena Steward Health CEO". The Hill. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
"Rule XXV - Standing Committees" (PDF). govinfo.gov. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
"About". help.senate.gov. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
^ Bernie Sanders is an Independent, but caucuses with Democrats on the committee.
^ "Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee - Subcommittees, 118th Congress". Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
Paul Kane, Ben Pershing. "Dodd Decides Against Taking Over Senate Health Committee". Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012.
"Life after Ted Kennedy: all eyes on Chris Dodd - politico.com". Politico. September 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
"U.S. Senate: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions". senate.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
"RULES OF PROCEDURE" (PDF). govinfo.gov. 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2019.

External links

Official Committee Page (Archive)
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.

Current United States congressional committees

Senate (list)

Standing

Other

Aging (special)
International Narcotics Control (permanent caucus)
Ethics (select)
Indian Affairs (permanent select)
Intelligence (select)

House (list)

Standing	Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education and the Workforce Energy and Commerce Ethics Financial Services Foreign Affairs Homeland Security House Administration Judiciary Natural Resources Oversight and Accountability Rules Science, Space, and Technology Small Business Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans' Affairs Ways and Means (Whole)
Other	Intelligence (permanent select) Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (select)

Joint (list)

Commission
assignments

Joint	Capitol Historical Society (advisory group) China COVID-19 Oversight Cyberspace Solarium Security and Cooperation in Europe
House	Democracy Partnership Human Rights

Categories:

Misplaced Pages