January 2025

With the convening of the 119th Congress at the beginning of January and the second term of President Donald Trump underway with his inauguration on January 20, new names and faces will be involved in key congressional committees and federal agencies.

In Congress, the flip of party control of the Senate from Democrats to Republicans resulted in a shift in leadership for relevant Senate committees, mainly between chairs and ranking members. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee chair is Bill Cassidy (R-LA), with the ranking member Bernie Sanders (I-VT). On the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Ted Cruz (R-TX) is now serving as chair, with Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Similarly, on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Susan Collins (R-ME) will be serving as chair, with Patty Murray (D-WA) serving as vice chair.

In the House, while the party control remains with Republicans, leadership has changed on key committees and subcommittees. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) is serving as chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, as former chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) was restricted by House rules for running for another term. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) will continue to serve as the committee’s ranking member.

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee also has new leadership with Brian Babin (R-TX) taking over as chair. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) will continue to serve as the committee’s ranking member.

The House Appropriations Committee will remain the same with Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) serving as committee chair, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) as ranking member. DeLauro will also remain the ranking member of the appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS). Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) will also remain in his role in chairing the LHHS subcommittee. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) will continue serving as chair of the appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) will be taking over as ranking member of the CJS subcommittee.

President Trump has also announced nominations and appointments to lead federal agencies and for key science positions. These leadership positions include:

• Linda McMahon to serve as secretary of education. Denise Carter, a long-time federal employee, is currently serving as acting education secretary.
• Penny Schwinn, former commissioner of education in Tennessee, to serve as deputy secretary of education.
• Jay Bhattacharya to serve as director of the National Institutes of Health. Matthew J. Memoli is currently serving as the acting director.
• Russell Vought to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget. Vought served in this role during the first Trump administration.
• Michael Kratsios to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). This would be Kratsios’s second term of service, as he served as OSTP’s Chief Technology Officer during Trump’s first term. Kratsios, alongside the appointed Artificial Intelligence and Crypto Czar David Sacks, will also co-chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.