HELP Committee Chair and Ranking Member

The HELP Committee is led by Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY) and is comprised of 23 Senators; 13 Democrats and 10 Republicans.  Presently, there are only 12 Democratic Senators and 10 Republican Senators serving on the committee (U. S. Senate Committe on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, n.d.). 

HELP Committee Chairman
Senator Thomas Harkin (D-IA)

Senator Harkin has represented Iowa in Congress for over 36 years.  He currently chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in addition to serving as leader of the Democratic segment of the Committee.   As  the HELP Committee Chairman, his duties include the following:  (1) reporting to the Senate any measure or recommendation approved by the committee and taking the necessary steps to bring the matter to a vote in the Senate (Committee on HELP U. S. Senate, 2007), (2) presiding over each HELP Committee meeting (schedule and agenda), (3) assuring that the meeting stays on task, (4) allowing collaboration and input of all committee members, and (5) communicating information between the Senate and the HELP Committee (Cohen, 2010). 

For more information on Senator Harkin click here

HELP Committee Ranking Member            
Senator Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) 
 

Serving as Ranking Member of the HELP Committee, Senator Enzi is second in command under Chairman Senator Harkin.  According to the Rules of Procedure of the Senate Committee on HELP, Rule 2 (2007), "the chairman of the committee or of a subcommittee, or if the chairman is not present, the ranking majority member present, shall preside at all meetings. The chairman may designate

the ranking minority member to preside at hearings of the committee

or subcommittee" (p. 5).

For more information on Senator Enzi click here