| Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee | |
| Type: | standing |
| Chamber: | senate |
| Congress: | 118th |
| Status: | active |
| Formed: | January 28, 1869 |
| Chair: | Bernie Sanders |
| Chair Party: | I |
| Chair Since: | January 3, 2023 |
| Ranking Member: | Bill Cassidy |
| Rm Party: | R |
| Rm Since: | January 3, 2023 |
| Seats: | 21 |
| Majority1: | D |
| Majority1 Seats: | 11 |
| Minority1: | R |
| Minority1 Seats: | 10 |
| Oversight: | Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor |
| Counterpart: | House Committee on Education and Labor |
| Meeting Place: | 428 Senate Dirksen Office Building, Washington, D.C. |
| Chamber Rules: | Rule XXV.1.(m), Standing Rules of the Senate |
| Committee Rules: | 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.
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.[1]
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.[2]
Under the Rule 25[3] of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following subject matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Committee:[4]
See main article: 118th United States Congress.
| Subcommittee Name | Chair[8] | Ranking Member | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||
| 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) |
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.[9] Tom Harkin, next in line by seniority, assumed the chairmanship on September 9, 2009, vacating his post as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.[10] Republican Mike Enzi of Wyoming continued to serve as Ranking Member.
Source:,
| 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) |
Source:
| 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) |
Source: 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) |
Source [11]
Source: 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) |
See main article: 116th United States Congress.
| 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) |
See main article: 117th United States Congress.
| 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) |
The committee has had other subcommittees in the past, such as: