On November 8, voters will take to the polls to determine the new look of the next Congress by casting their votes for 34 Senate and all 435 House seats. Currently, Democrats hold a slim majority in both the House and Senate, making this election highly consequential in terms of the potential for swings of party control in each chamber. Retirements will also play a large factor in the future composition of the next Congress – 32 House members (20 Democrats and 12 Republicans) and 6 Senators (5 Republicans and 1 Democrat) are not running for reelection this year.
These retirements will not only influence the balance of power, but they also will cause a significant shift in representation on the education and appropriations committees that directly impact CTE. For example, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), is retiring. He is likely to be replaced by either Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) or Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The spot for top Democrat on the HELP committee is also up for grabs, as Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the current HELP Committee chair is slated to replace retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) as chair or ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, depending on the party that controls the Senate. It is expected that Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) will then take Sen. Murray’s place leading the HELP Committee Democrats.
In addition to new Democratic leadership on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republican leadership on the committee will also experience changes due to retirements. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the top Republican on the full committee, and Sen. Roy Blunt, the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, are both retiring. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is next in line to replace Sen. Shelby based on seniority, while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is the most senior Republican in line to replace Sen. Blunt. That said, all committee assignments and leadership positions are subject to a variety of factors and are not always based on seniority.
The bipartisan congressional CTE Caucuses will also suffer losses due to retirements from longtime CTE advocates Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI). ACTE is grateful for their valuable contributions to the CTE community and wishes them all the best in their future endeavors. Moving forward, each caucus will soon choose replacements to serve as co-chairs. We will keep you updated with more information as it becomes available. Overall, the House CTE Caucus will lose 11 members due to retirement, making it critical for ACTE members to recruit their newly elected Members of Congress to join.
Starting next week, ACTE’s Election Watch 2022 will preview federal policy issues critical to the community that may be impacted by this year’s midterm elections. If you have any questions, please reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Zach Curtis ([email protected]).
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