Westbank Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), will chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the 119th Congress. Cassidy previously served as the ranking member of this committee.

"It is an honor to lead my fellow Republicans as chair of the HELP Committee," said Dr. Cassidy. "I am excited to work closely with President Trump and my Republican colleagues to implement a Pro-America agenda and deliver real solutions for Louisiana and American families."

Cassidy is notable for being the first medical doctor to hold this position since 1933 when the committee was known as "Education and Labor."

As chair, Cassidy will set the agenda for the HELP Committee in the upcoming Congress. During his tenure as ranking member in the previous Congress, he led efforts against policies from the Biden-Harris administration that he viewed as harmful.

Among these efforts were leading Congressional Review Acts (CRA) aimed at overturning specific Biden-Harris administration rules: one targeting a joint employer rule affecting franchise businesses, another opposing a student loan debt transfer scheme costing taxpayers $300 billion, and a third preventing environmental, social, and governance ideology from influencing retirement savings.

Cassidy also secured $150 million back to taxpayers from funds wrongfully paid to a union pension fund under a Democratic pension bailout plan. Additionally, he successfully passed multiple bills through committee focused on reducing prescription drug costs. This includes reforms targeting Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to ensure drug discounts reach patients directly and legislation facilitating quicker market access for low-cost generic drugs.

For more updates from HELP Republicans, visit their website or follow them on Twitter at @GOPHELP.