By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Monday, April 8, Representative Bradley Byrne (R) from Montrose announced that he was selected to join the House Education and the Workforce Committee. This committee has primary jurisdiction over federal education policy, ensuring that the next generation is equipped with the necessary skills to enter the workforce. The Education and the Workforce Committee also has jurisdiction in setting labor policy, including workforce regulations and oversight of the Department of Labor.
Congressman Byrne said, “I am excited to be selected for the House Education and the Workforce Committee under the leadership of Chairman John Kline. As a former member of the State Board of Education and Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, I have seen firsthand how good education policy supports our students’ progress, and how the federal government’s intrusions can hamper their success.”
Representative Byrne said, “As Southwest Alabama continues to enjoy rapid growth, it is critical that we train the next generation to enter the workforce with the necessary skills to lead our community into the future. I look forward to working with Chairman Kline to ensure that we are imparting greater control to the parents and teachers who see the real-time impacts of these policies on our nation’s most precious resource, our children.”
House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R) from Minnesota said: “I am excited to welcome Rep. Byrne to the House Education and the Workforce Committee. His experience, knowledge, and leadership will be invaluable as the committee continues its work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, strengthen early childhood programs, and protect the rights of workers and employers.”
Representative Byrne was a member of the Alabama State Board of Education from 1995-2003.
Rep. Byrne also represented the 32nd District in the Alabama Senate from 2003 to 2007 where he served on the Education and Education Budget Committees. In 2007, then State Senator Byrne was selected by Alabama Governor Bob Riley (R) to serve as Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. Byrne was chancellor of the state’s two year college system from 2007 to 2009 in the aftermath of the Roy Johnson scandal. Rep. Byrne ran for Governor of Alabama in the 2010 election, ultimately losing to eventual Governor Robert Bentley (R) in the Republican Primary Runoff.
Byrne was elected to Congress in a Special Election late last year to fill the remaining year of Congressman Jo Bonner (R) ‘s term after Bonner resigned to take a position with the University of Alabama System. Byrne is running for re-election in Alabama’s First Congressional District.
