Much like their counterparts in the House, members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee may begin their work in the new Congress by covering some bipartisan common ground, including reauthorizing the nation’s main workforce development law.
During a HELP Committee organizing meeting on Tuesday, healthcare — and, in particular, prescription drug costs — seemed to be top-of-mind for leaders of both parties. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) — who is the first physician to chair the committee — kicked off his list of priorities with prescription drug prices. On the topic of education, Cassidy cited child literacy as a concern and also noted dyslexia.
“Without a literate workforce, we cannot fill the over 8 million jobs currently open,” he said.
On the higher education front, the chair said antisemitism on college campuses remains a concern.
“This will be a priority in the new Congress,” said Cassidy, who didn’t mention other areas in higher education the panel may address.
Ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) also cited prescription drug costs among his top issues. He noted that the committee could start its work by taking up issues that both sides had agreed on during the previous Congress, citing among those a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). That legislation was pulled at the last minute in December from a measure to temporarily extend federal funding.
“I hope, Mr. Chairman, that together, perhaps the first order of business would be for us to make sure legislation we reached an agreement on last year gets signed into law,” he said.
Last week, leaders of the House Education and Workforce sounded a potential similar approach and also mentioned WIOA reauthorization.
Since its authorization expired in 2020, some education and training advocates are concerned WIOA programs could be a target for a federal spending watchdog group created by President Donald Trump known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
