Cassidy to Chair Senate HELP Committee, Expected to Prioritize Education

Dr. Bill Cassidy will now officially lead the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee next year as the Republicans take control of the upper chamber following the election, the Louisiana Republican announced Thursday. The widely expected promotion for the committee’s current ranking member was largely a formality and comes after the senior Republican on the panel, Kentucky senator Rand Paul, decided to chair the Homeland Security Committee. Cassidy took over as the ranking Republican on the HELP committee in 2023. Higher education has received little attention from current chair Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent, in the past two years. But Cassidy’s record shows legislation concerning colleges and universities could likely be a priority for him.