Republicans have altered the names of two House committees, upsetting Democrats, labor representatives and civil libertarians.

 

For the second time, the Education and Labor Committee, which was founded in 1867, is being changed to the Education and the Workforce Committee. The GOP majority did the same thing in 1995, after they gained power as a result of the 1994 election.

 

Then, as now, organized labor sees the move as an example of the GOP’s anti-union philosophy.

 

Another change affects the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. Now, it will be known simply as the Constitution Subcommittee. Again, the Republicans did the same thing in 1995.

 

Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-New York), the outgoing chairman of the subcommittee, was not happy with the decision. “Once again, the new Republican majority has shown that it isn’t quite as committed to the Constitution as its recent lofty rhetoric would indicate,” Nadler stated. “It has yet again shown its contempt for key portions of the document–the areas of civil rights and civil liberties–by banishing those words from the title of the Constitution Subcommittee.” 

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Again, GOP Only Interested in Some of the Constitution, Banishes Civil Rights and Civil Liberties from Judiciary Committee (Congressman Jerrold Nadler)

House Republicans Remove "Civil Rights" and "Labor" From Committee Names (by Nadia Prupis, Truthout)