The U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee (E&W) finalized its committee and subcommittee membership rosters for the 119th Congress. This committee has jurisdiction over education, labor, and employment issues including workforce development initiatives, apprenticeship programs, occupational safety and health, and labor relations.

 

The E&W Committee, which oversees issues critical to the tree care industry, such as workplace safety and workforce development, is the House counterpart to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. It comprises 20 Republicans and 15 Democrats with Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) newly elected as chair and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) returning as ranking member of the full committee. Walberg has indicated his priorities for the committee will be workforce-focused and include apprenticeships and job training. With Republican control in both the House and the Senate, Walberg may be able to pass meaningful legislation that would garner support from the Senate and the President and provide oversight of OSHA’s regulatory efforts, such as the Tree Care Standard.

In addition to leadership changes at the full committee level, there have been several changes to membership on several subcommittees of importance to TCIA and its advocacy.

The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections has jurisdiction over issues relevant to TCIA such as wages and hours, immigration and employment, and occupational safety and health. Freshman Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) will serve as chairman of the subcommittee and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) will serve as ranking member. Last year, the subcommittee leadership under then-Chair Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Ranking Member Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) demonstrated strong bipartisan support for TCIA’s advocacy by writing to OSHA and urging the agency to prioritize a Tree Care Standard. Both Kiley and Adams remain on the full committee but have moved to other subcommittees.

The Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development has jurisdiction over the following relevant areas: postsecondary career and technical education, apprenticeship programs, and workforce development. Rep. Owen Burgess (R-UT) will return as chairman of the subcommittee, while Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) will serve as ranking member. Rep. Adams has previously interacted with TCIA members at TCIExpo and TCIA’s Legislative Day on the Hill to hear about workforce shortages within the tree care industry and how workforce development programs such as apprenticeships can address the issue.

 

While TCIA will monitor committee activity and keep members apprised of any significant hearings or updates, below is a snapshot of the new members who have joined the committee for the 119th Congress.

 

New Committee Member Highlights

In addition to these returning members, the following Representatives have joined the E&W committee:

• Bob Onder (R-MO): Onder is serving his first term in Congress after winning the House seat vacated by former Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer. Before his election to the House, Onder served as a State Senator since 2015. Odner is a Physician by profession, specializing in Internal Medicine and Allergy/Immunology.
• Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA): Mackenzie defeated incumbent Democrat Rep. Susan Wild this election cycle, in a tight race. Mackenzie has a background in labor policy; before his election to the House, he served as a PA State Representative from 2012-2024, during which he chaired the Labor and Industry Committee. Prior to his public service, Mackenzie was a Policy Director at the PA Department of Labor & Industry. He campaigned on priorities including investing in career and technical education and promoting legal merit-based immigration to supplement the American workforce.
• Michael Baumgartner (R-WA): Baumgartner is serving his first term in Congress after winning the seat vacated by former Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Before his House campaign, Baumgartner served as a WA state senator, a US State Department officer at the US Embassy in Baghdad, a Counternarcotics advisor on a U.S. government-funded program in Afghanistan, and as State Treasurer. According to his House campaign, Baumgartner’s Agricultural priorities are passing a new Farm Bill, expanding markets for wood products, improving forest health, and reducing wildfire risk.
• Mike Rulli (R-OH): Rulli easily won the House seat vacated by former Rep. Bill Johnson in both the 2024 special election and the 2024 November election. Before joining the House, Rulli served as a state senator. In addition, he’s a school board member and owns the family business, Rulli Bros Market, which was started by his grandfather over 100 years ago. According to his campaign, Rulli’s top issues include jobs & economy, energy independence, and small businesses.
• Mark Harris (R-NC): Despite previous unsuccessful bids for the U.S. House and Senate, Harris is now serving his first term in Congress after winning the House seat vacated by Former Rep. Dan Bishop. Harris is a Pastor by profession and according to his campaign, plans to pursue traditional conservative priorities while in office.
• Mark Messmer (R-IN): Messemer is serving his first term in Congress after winning the House seat vacated by former Rep. Larry Bucshon. He has previously served as an Indiana State Representative and is an engineer by trade. Messemer owns a small

unionized mechanical engineering company.

• Greg Casar (D-TX): Casar was elected to the House in 2023 to represent Texas’s 35th Congressional District. Before joining the House, he served on the Austin City Council for seven years where he championed progressive policies. Despite representing a right-to-work state, Casar is a labor organizer and has authored many progressive labor policies in the State. Casar’s policy priorities include increased wages, expanded immigrant and worker rights, supporting small businesses, and tackling the climate crisis.
• Summer Lee (D-PA): Lee was elected to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania’s 12th District in 2022. Before joining the House, she served in the State House advocating for workers’ rights, unions, and the right to organize. As a labor organizer herself, she focused on the fight for a $15 minimum wage. Lee also co-founded UNITE, a grassroots organization to build progressive electoral power. Lee’s policy priorities include expanding workers’ rights and clean air, water, and climate.
• John Mannion (D-NY): Mannion was elected to the U.S. House this election cycle to represent New York’s 22nd Congressional District. Before joining the House, Mannion served as a New York State Senator focused on efforts to bring new jobs to Central New York and boost opportunities for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Mannion spent almost three decades as a high school science teacher. According to his campaign, his policy priorities include creating union jobs, fighting climate change, and expanding funding and pay for teachers and schools.

 

Written by Ulman Public Policy.

To learn more about TCIA’s advocacy efforts, please visit: advocacy.tcia.org.

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