Chair's Press

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) announced the confirmed witnesses for this week’s HELP hearing on issues in higher education. The witnesses include university presidents Dr. Michael Lindsay of Taylor University and Dr. Mark A. Brown of Tuskegee...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, John Cornyn (R-TX), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act, which would authorize existing federal funding to help states streamline the application...

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hosted “Chartering Excellence: A Policy Briefing on Charter School Innovation,” an event on how to strengthen access to charter schools, so students can receive the best education that meets their individual...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted to favorably report the nomination of Janet Dhillon to serve as the Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation by a vote of 12-11. Click here to watch the full executive session.  Before the vote, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of...

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, May 22, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will consider multiple nominations at the Department of Labor, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, and the Department of Education. Agenda: Nomination of Julie Hocker to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered remarks during today’s hearing with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to discuss the  proposed HHS budget for fiscal year 2026. This is the first time in at...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced two pieces of legislation to strengthen Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs); the Employee Ownership Representation Act and the Employee Ownership Fairness Act. ESOPs are employee retirement plans in...

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, May 21, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing on the troubling state of higher education, and how to improve educational success for students. Title: The State of Higher Education Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025   Time: 10:00 AM ET/ 9:00 AM CT  Location: 430 Dirksen Senate...

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, May 15, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, will host “Chartering Excellence: A Policy Briefing on Charter School Innovation,” an event on how to strengthen access to charter schools, so students can receive the best education that meets their...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Michael Bennet (D-CO) reintroduced the Equitable Access to School Facilities Act, legislation that ensures charter schools can access public property and provide federal grants to states for charter school...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate HELP Committee, reintroduced the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act. The legislation would help more Americans aged 18 to 20 years old access employer-sponsored...

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, May 15, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, will host “Chartering Excellence: A Policy Briefing on Charter School Innovation,” an event on how to strengthen access to charter schools, so students can receive the best education that meets their...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered remarks during today’s hearing on the nomination of James O’Neill to serve as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.          Click here to watch the hearing live.  Cassidy’s speech as prepared for...

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, May 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will consider the nomination of Janet Dhillon to serve as the Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Agenda: Nomination of Janet Dhillon to serve as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Date: Thursday, May 15,...

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, May 8, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of James O’Neill to serve as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat will no longer appear before the HELP Committee following the withdrawal of her nomination to be Surgeon...

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, May 14, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to discuss President Trump's proposed HHS budget for fiscal year 2026. This is the first time in at least two decades that the HHS Secretary...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a statement following a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report highlighting the dangers of allowing children to undergo irreversible chemical and surgical mutilation.   The report also...

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, May 14, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to discuss President Trump's proposed HHS budget for fiscal year 2026. This is the first time in at least two decades that the HHS Secretary...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes for Health (NIH) announcement of Generation Gold Standard, a new initiative to pursue a universal vaccine platform for...

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, May 8, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing on the nominations of James O’Neill to serve as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Janette Nesheiwat to serve as Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public...