News from the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
John Boehner, Chairman

Chairman Boehner Names Subcommittee
Vice-Chairs for 107^th Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) today named five colleagues to serve as subcommittee vice-chairmen during the 107^th Congress.  The newly-named vice-chairs, who are expected to be formally approved during a committee organizing caucus today, will handle oversight functions for their respective panels in addition to assisting with legislative functions. 

“These five members will be instrumental to our committee’s efforts on education and workforce policy over the next two years,” Boehner said.  “Each will play a key role as we move to help workers share in the opportunities of the new economy and ensure that every American child has the chance to learn.  I’m grateful they’ve agreed to serve.”

            “Partnering with the subcommittee chairmen, the vice-chairs will be responsible for managing the critical oversight functions of their respective subcommittees,” Boehner said.  “Oversight of departments and programs is essential to responsible management of our nation's education and workforce programs, and often is instrumental in developing new ways of achieving our shared goals.”

Under Boehner’s proposed structure, the following members have been tapped to serve as vice-chairs for the 107^th Congress:

·        Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-CO) will be vice-chairman of the Subcommittee on Education Reform, chaired by Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE).  In the 106^th Congress (1999-2000), Schaffer was vice-chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families.  In 1999, Schaffer played a key role in House passage of the Academic Achievement for All (“Straight A’s) Act (H.R. 2300), helping to pave the way for education reforms aimed at ensuring greater accountability in federal education spending while granting more freedom and flexibility to states and local schools.

·        Rep. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) will be vice-chairman of the Subcommittee on 21^st Century Competitiveness, chaired by Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA).  The former chairman of the state Board of Education in his native Georgia, Isakson sat on both the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and the Subcommittee on Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Life-Long Learning during his first term in the House (1999-2000).  In November 1999, Isakson was named vice-chair of the Web-based Education Commission created by Congress to establish policy recommendations aimed at maximizing the educational potential of the Internet.  The Commission report, released in December 2000, is the most comprehensive report ever written on the impact of web-based learning on education.

·        Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) will be vice-chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Education, chaired by Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI).  Tiberi served four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives representing Ohio’s 26^th House District and became Majority Leader in the Ohio House in 1998.  During his tenure in the Ohio House he authored legislation to improve education for disadvantaged students by expanding accountability and requiring performance audits for Ohio’s 21 urban school districts.

·        Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R-KY) will be vice-chairman of the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations, chaired by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX).  Fletcher also served as vice-chairman of the subcommittee during his freshman term in the House (1999-2000) and on the bipartisan House/Senate Conference Committee on the Patients’ Bill of Rights legislation.  Prior to his election to the House, Fletcher was a Family Practice physician for 12 years and served for 2 years as CEO of the Saint Joseph Medical Foundation.  As a State Representative for the 78^th District of Kentucky, Fletcher was chosen by the governor to assist with reforming Kentucky’s ailing health-care system.

·        Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) will be vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Charles Norwood (R-GA).  Currently in her second term, Biggert served as vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology (Government Reform Committee) and Subcommittee on Basic Research (Science Committee) during her freshman term in Congress.  She served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993 to 1998 and was named Assistant Republican House Leader after just one term.

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