House Ed. Panel To Reorganize,
Drop Oversight Subcommittee
Rep. Michael N. Castle, R-Del., will continue as the chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over most K-12 issues, under a plan announced last week to restructure the Education and the Workforce Committee.
Rep. Michael N. Castle, R-Del., will continue as the chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over most K-12 issues, under a plan announced last week to restructure the Education and the Workforce Committee.
Committee Chairman John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, announced the proposed changes and the members who will lead the panel’s five subcommittees. His plan, which is expected to be approved by the full committee next week, would eliminate the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, building that function into each subcommittee.
Rep. Castle, who for the past two years headed the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families, will now lead the new Subcommittee on Education Reform. As was the case under the previous subcommittee setup, he will oversee most pre-K-12 programs, including Head Start, vocational education, and educational research. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., will lead the new Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, which will handle education and training beyond the high school level. Mr. McKeon has chaired a panel with similar jurisdiction for the past six years.
And Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., will lead the Subcommittee on Select Education, whose jurisdiction will include programs and services dealing with at-risk youths, child abuse and domestic violence, and school-to-work programs, among other areas.
—Erik W. Robelen
Ashcroft, Chao Win Senate Confirmation
The Senate last week confirmed the nominations of former Sen. John Ashcroft as attorney general and Elaine Chao as secretary of labor.
Ms. Chao, who was President Bush’s second choice for the job after Linda Chavez withdrew her nomination, was approved unanimously without debate. A former director of the Peace Corps and president and chief executive officer of the United Way charities, she is known among educators as an opponent of bilingual education and affirmative action. At the Department of Labor, her responsibilities will include programs that help prepare students and other youths for employment.
Mr. Ashcroft, a Republican from Missouri who served six years in the Senate before his defeat in November, was approved by a vote of 58-42. Many Democrats opposed his nomination because of his controversial record on civil rights, school desegregation, and other issues.
—Joetta L. Sack
