Enzi Will Lead Senate in Health, Education, Other Issues
Enzi Will Lead Senate in Health, Education, Other Issues
In 1895 Marconi invented radio. Wyoming was five years old. That year was also when the last senator from Wyoming to chair the U.S. Senate Committee on Education and Labor retired. Jump forward 110 years. It's 2005 and Wyoming again has a senator in charge of one of the Senate's most powerful committees.
The Senate made it official this week, Mike Enzi was elected chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during the 109th Congress.
As chair, Enzi will draft many of the initial bills, set the committee's agenda, preside over the amendment process, lead the floor debate and chair Senate-House conferences. He will lead the Senate in its efforts to help ensure that every child, career and college student in America receives a quality education, provide Americans access to affordable, quality health care, protect workers, provide them training to get the best jobs and oversee the security of their pensions.
"I've had the privilege of serving on this committee for eight years and am thrilled with the opportunity to lead it," said Enzi. "This is the committee with jurisdiction over legislation that affects how our young people are educated, how our healthcare system works, the safety of our workers and their retirement security. I'm excited and awed at the tremendous responsibility. These issues can be as controversial as they are important, but I am optimistic that this committee will be productive during this congress and we will pass problem-solving legislation."
Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., is the ranking member or leader of the minority party for the committee. Even though the two senators differ widely on political philosophy, Enzi believes they will work together and achieve passage of meaningful legislation.
"Senator Kennedy and I have worked together successfully before and we've passed bills such as the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, which helps prevent healthcare professionals who work with needles from being exposed to blood-borne diseases," Enzi said. "I've already met to discuss the committee agenda. We recognize our differences, but we also both recognize that we are here to help people and that's what we are going to do."
http://enzi.senate.gov/other.htm